Ben Ezechime, Enugu
President Bola Tinubu recently announced a N5 billion subsidy palliatives windfall for the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to cushion the spiral effects of the removal of Fuel Subsidy.
Since that presidential announcement, many citizens of the country have been expectant, especially the ‘so-called’ poorest of the poor.
Down in Enugu State, the state government had earlier inaugurated an enlarged palliative Committee headed by the Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai.
Incidentally, the committee, which was set up with nothing on ground has remained inactive even before the announcement of the presidential largesse, thereby making the residents to sheepishly continue to ask one another the whereabouts of the palliatives.
Journalists in the state have also been asking the same questions about the palliatives but no one provided the much needed answers.
Tension among the citizens heightened when the presidential announcement came but owing to late appointment and inauguration of State Executive Council, nobody was on ground to provide the much desired information to douse the tension.
However, following the recent inauguration of the state EXCO and the appointment of Mr Aka Eze Aka, as State Commissioner of Information there appears to be hope on the horizon.
Aka, the ace FRCN broadcaster, while speaking on the subsidy palliatives disclosed that there were plans to review the social register to ascertain the true less privileged in the state, who actually deserve the palliatives.
He said that the state government was working to ensure a transparent and all-inclusive sharing formula that would satisfy the generality of the people.
“We intend to review the last social register used by the previous administration by removing fake names, those that are no longer alive, people that have relocated to other states etc.
“Then, we want to add those who are truly less privileged in the stare,” he said.
The commissioner said that the state also planned to involve reputable and responsive members of the communities at the ward levels in the implementation of the palliative programme.
He said: “The plan again is that we shall have reputable and responsive persons, who will manage these things.
“Like, if you come to every ward, you have Rev. Fathers, Pastors, Traditional rulers, youth leaders; so, in each community it might not be easy for all of them to collude to divert these things.”
He also said that the media would be fully involved in the exercise to ensure probity.
“We are also going to have Journalists to be part of the process to ensure transparency,” Aka said.
He said though, he would not give the timeline for the commencement of the palliative programme, but added that it would take off in no distant time.
According to him, most of the items have not yet arrived the state.
“I won’t give the timeline because, for now, we have not fully received the palliatives.
“Some of them will be coming in form of items, produce, that will be edible: rice, beans, cereals, etc. and some amount will be used for procurement, ” he said
The commissioner added that the full plan for the distribution of the palliatives would be unveiled in “no distant time.”
