Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has rolled out palliatives to mitigate the harsh economic effects of the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government on residents of the state.
He said his government feels the pains the people were passing through.
The governor disclosed this in Enugu while inaugurating a committee for the procurement, storage and distribution of the relief items to the public.
He charged members of the committee, chaired by the Deputy Governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ossai, to handle the palliatives with transparency, while ensuring the speedy distribution of the items to those in dire need of them.
Also, members of the committee include the chairman, Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON), Enugu State, and Chairman of Nkanu East Council Area, Mr Okechukwu Edeh.
ALGON Deputy Chairman and Chairman of Uzo Uwani Council Area, Mr Chukwudi Nnadozie, Chairman of Awgu Council Area, Mr Pedro Nwankwo and his Enugu East counterpart, Mr Livinus Anike are also members.
Others are the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Mike Ogbuekwe, Programme Manager of Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP), Dr Ogbonna Onyeisi, and the head of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Chinasa Mbah.
Mbah who acknowledged the harsh impact of the fuel subsidy on the people, further said that the subsidy removal, would, however, immensely benefit Nigerians in the long run.
While maintaining that he shared in the pains Nigerians were going through at the moment, Mbah expressed the hope that the palliatives would help alleviate their hardships.
He also enjoined the committee to spare no time in ensuring that the palliatives were sent to “homes of those that need them the most in the state.”
He said, “You recall that few months ago the Federal Government of Nigeria removed the fuel subsidy. And as you know, that came with pains, shared pains, even though we believe in the long run, it will be beneficial to the country.
“The question for us now as leaders is, how do we mitigate those shared pains that our people are going to be exposed to? It is part of what we are doing to see how we can begin to cushion the effects of some these pains.
“So, what we are doing now is to see how to fix the pains people are going through and there are also plans for short and medium term solutions, and that we are going to do in due course.”
The governor further charged the committee to ensure that the palliatives got to the people who deserve it and also ensure it was distributed with speed and transparency.
Responding on behalf of the committee members, Ossai expressed the committee’s readiness to deliver on the assignment and work with the template given to them in ways that would reflect transparency.
He appreciated the governor for meeting the yearnings of the people, even as he assured that the committee would not disappoint in the discharge of their responsibilities.
