For the vulnerable persons in Niger State, May 9 would remain memorable in their lives. It was the day both the Federal and Niger State governments remembered them for good and made available to them palliatives to cushion their hardship.
reports that the hardship being experienced by the vulnerable persons is a fallout of the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government, which has further increased the sufferings of Nigerians.
The Federal Government provided 1,437.5 metric tons of assorted grains from the National Strategic Reserve through the National Emergency Management Agency for the special needs resident in the state.
The food commodities included – 550 metric tons (11,000 of 50 kg bags) of maize, 660 Metric tons (13,000 of 50 kg bags) of Sorghum, and 247.5 Metric tons (4,750 of 50 kg bags) of millet.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency facilitated the gesture and ensured that the physically challenged persons drawn from across the 25 local governments of the state were fully represented.
Yahaya said, “I represent the physically challenged people in Niger State. I am the chairman of the association. We don’t have anything other than to thank the governor for his kind gesture. I have witnessed it today, and physically, we have it in hand.
“I don’t know which words I will use to express our feelings. The only thing I will say is ‘thank you.’ Governor Bago and God will give you the power to direct the affairs of the state appropriately.’’
“It is the first time that I am receiving anything like this directly. There was a time during the past rainy season when we received something like this from the Chanchaga Local Government.
“I can see maize, millet and Guinea corn. There are more than 200 people who are registered with the association, but there are others who are more than 200 registered. This will go around. I will make sure every one of us gets the items,” Yahaya promised.
Habiba Garuba, who is a polio-affected person, is the Chairman of the Polio Affected Persons Association in Niger State. She also expressed her excitement at receiving the items, pointing out that members of her association have not been finding it easy in the country.
“My name is Habiba Garuba. I am a polio-affected person and the chairman of the Polio Affected Persons Association in Niger State.
“They said they have something for us, and upon our arrival, we saw all these. It is for eating. Don’t you see the condition we are in now in the country? We are taking the items home directly; the bags of corn, maize, and millet.
“We are saying a big thank you to the Governor for this kind gesture. The government has to remember that people like us exist in the state, and we need the government’s assistance to continue to survive in this country and at this time that the country is facing a severe hardship.
“This governor is doing a great job. We only ask that in building infrastructures, he should also put us into consideration,” Garuba said.
Governor Mohammed Bago received the items from the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Hajiya Zubaida Umaru, at the Government House, Minna, and commended the President for his concern for the less privileged in the country.
He assured that his administration would ensure that the template for distribution of the palliatives is strictly followed and warned that anyone who diverted or sold the commodities would be prosecuted.
“These grains are for the vulnerable people in the state, and let me sound a note of warning that anybody found diverting them or selling them will face the law,” he warned.
Bago enjoined beneficiaries to report anyone who attempted to exploit them, saying the State Government had provided logistics for the items to get to all the 25 Local Government Areas.
The Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umaru who spoke earlier explained that the distribution of the food items was in fulfilment of the Federal Government’s promise of 42,000 metric tons of assorted grains to be distributed nationwide to reduce the impact of the current economic hardship being experienced in the country.
She noted that the items would be distributed equally to all the 25 local government areas of the State, adding that 20 per cent of the items due for each local government area will go to religious organisations while three per cent, to boarding schools in the local government areas based on the directive of the president.
