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…sues for even distribution to people at grassroots

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has flagged off the distribution of Palliatives to cushion the ameliorating effects of fuel subsidy removal on residents of the State with an appeal to the Palliative Committee to ensure distribution of the palliatives comprising forty bags to each of the villages and residents of the State irrespective of party affiliations, gender, tribe and religion.

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Speaking at a brief ceremony to flag off the palliative distribution at Government Warehouse, Ikot Ekpene Udo, Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, Governor Eno explained that the State has so far received 2 billion naira out of the 5 billion naira meant to have been released to each State in the country, adding that the money is given as loans to be refunded in parts to the central government and appealed to the Federal government as well as agencies handling the palliatives distribution to release the second tranche of the fund to enable the State governments address the basic needs of the people.

He pointed out that the State government has spent over 5billion naira to support federal government efforts and enumerated part of the expenses as recommended by the Palliative Committee to include 2billion naira for the purchase of a hundred thousand bags of rice, 2 billion naira for payment of gratuities of retirees, 1billion naira for payment of bursary to students, 2 billion cash award to three thousand workers in the State, among others .

“I would like to say that the Federal Government so far has released two billion naira out of the reported five billion for this palliatives. I would like to also inform you that the money naira, some of it comes as a loan to the states. So the states will pay for this two billion naira in some part as a loan.

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“We appeal to the Federal Government, the agencies handling these palliatives to please send us the balance of the money so that we can reach our to our people and ensure that our people get what they deserve.

‘I believe that a few people have tried to take advantage of that and they have been telling the youths to ask the Governor where he kept the five billion naira that the federal Government released. Please check your records and be sure. We have received two billion and if you check all of the things that the committee recommended and what we have done, the state Government has spent worth over five billion from our own resources to support what the federal Government has done.

“Right now, the two billion would take fifty thousand bags of rice. We have added two billion to make a hundred thousand bags of rice. We have released gratuity by spending about two billion because we still want to cushion the effect of this palliatives. So we make gratuity a priority so that our retirees can also have something.

“We have released another one billion or close to that to our students for bursaries. My special Assistant on Students affairs is here. He is working with the students and the Commissioner for Education to verify all of the students in public tertiary institutions. Once that verification is done, the accountant General does not need to be directed. The money is there. And as we do verifications, they will pay.

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“We will add the cash award that was given to about fifty three thousand workers in this state for three months. If you calculate that, it is another two billion. When you calculate all of these things; the Friday market free ticket, transporter free ticket for the next three months, again you will know that this Government has spent well over five billion to support this palliatives.

“There is a special palliative account that has been created, and that account can be audited at anytime to see what we have done. I have said before that this palliative thing is like blood money. You don’t eat such money. Let it go to where it is meant for. You don’t want to be like the people. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

The State Chief Executive appreciated the Labour Union for their contributions to the Palliative Committee, assuring that his administration will continue to work with the labour unions to meet the yearnings of the workers within the available resources in the State coffers .

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He said the palliative distribution will continue till the end of the month with each week designated for distribution from the rice millers directly to different Local Government Areas and thanked the security operatives for being alive to their responsibilities by securing the palliatives and preventing sabotage.

Governor Eno used the occasion to call on the youths to protect the palliatives and ensure that it is delivered to the target people who must be resident of the state including Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba communities as well as to the Service Commanders, assuring that the format will be adopted in the distribution of Christmas package in the next couple of months.

He called on well meaning people of the State to compliment government effort by augmenting the package for the people in their communities and ensure that the palliatives go round the communities.

“We will follow the same formats to distribute Christmas rice to our people so that it will get to the villages.

‘This is just a system we have created. So please, I advise and encourage our young people to protect it, guide it untill it gets to your respective villages.

“When you get home, you are from there. You know those who live in the village. Whether he is from there or not, whether he is PDP or APC, whether Christian, Muslim or traditional worshiper, please don’t discriminate so long as he is in the village.

“This rice is for Akwa Ibom State and the residents of Akwa Ibom State. I want to make that very clear. So I urge all village heads, village youth leaders, women leaders to ensure that these palliatives are distributed peacefully. We have also send allocation to other communities that are here in Akwa Ibom. The Housa Community, Igbo community, Yoruba community, and the Niger Delta community.

“We have also sent these in some small measure to service commanders for their people because they reside and work in Akwa Ibom. We have tried as much as we can to make it go round. So we please request that we should ensure that it goes round no matter how small.

Let it just get to the people. And if you know that God has blessed you, I know some village that have added to what we have sent to their villages.

Governor Eno said his presence in Ikot Ekpene Udo for the flag off excercise was a divine Providence, emphasising that the Warehouse where the palliatives are stored was built by the immediate past administration when the then Governor Emmanuel directed that he sited the warehouse in his village after it was rejected by the people which it was meant for out of ignorance, saying that he needed to discountenance nay sayers who are peddling that he brought the palliative flag off to his village.

Earlier, the Palliative Committee Chairman and Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, lauded the Governor’s initiatives in augmenting the federal government palliative package and for putting a machinery in place to ensure delivery of the palliatives to the very needy at the grassroots, while also showing care for other various categories of citizens in the state.

According to the SSG, the state warehouse had already in stock 13,000 bags of rice and starting distribution with the 2,560 bags to the 64 villages of Nsit Ubium, 1,960 to the 49 villages of Nsit Ibom, adding that distribution to other LGAs will be made either from the warehouse or Local Government headquarters depending on proximity.

Also, the State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Sunny James commended the governor for his workers’ friendly disposition and for the seamless flag off of the palliatives distribution process, stressing that the workers are happy to identify with him.

He equally appreciated him for the measures put in place for the workers to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal, including the salary award for workers and bursary for students, urging the committee to ensure equal distribution of the palliatives, while charging well meaning stakeholders to support government’s efforts.

The Chairman, Nsit Ubium Local Government Council, Architect Iniobong Orok, in his welcome remarks, described the Palliative measures initiated by Governor Umo Eno as historic, lofty and life-touching, especially in the face of the present difficulty and said Nsit Ubium people were honoured to host the flag-off.

The Village Head of Ikot Ekpene Udo, Eteidung Udo Usoro, acknowledged the giant strides of the governor, saying that he has taken off with a great difference by providing quality leadership within 100days in office.

On his part, the Political Leader Uyo Senatorial District, Sen. Effiong Bob, urged people to tick right for Governor Eno, having performed creditably in 100days and used the occasion to canvass support for his administration to enable him deliver on his mandate.