The Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Aliyu Umar Yusuf has joined Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to flag off the distribution of food items as palliative to the people of the state.
A press statement signed and made available to journalists by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Yabagi Mohammed stated that the flag off took place on Tuesday in Lokoja at the Muhammadu Buhari Square.
In his address, Rt Hon Umar admitted that the people of the state, like their counterparts across the country, are going through difficulty, saying that the palliative is a proof that the current government has the interest of the state at heart.
He called on leaders at all levels to look beyond the palliative and ensure the issue of how high cost of food stuff would be addressed, adding that it was inconceivable for there to be this high cost of goods in Lokoja.
The speaker, who stated that prices have continued to go up in Lokoja and parts of Kogi State, wondered why the issue is peculiar to Kogi, particularly the capital, Lokoja.
As representatives of the people, the Speaker noted that they would not remain silent, and that they would ensure what is due to the citizens are made available to them to make life better for the citizens.
Flagging off the distribution, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo said the palliative being provided was in fulfillment of his promise to the people of the state while campaigning to be Governor.
He said it is also in his determination to build on the legacies of his predecessor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello that he is committing to bettering the lives of the people through the palliative which he restated would be a regular exercise under his leadership.
The Governor stated that the palliative was meant for people at the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ecosystem of the state and that his government would not condone any attempt to hoard the food items.
In fact, the Governor said he would be part of the monitoring team to ensure it reached the people for whom it was meant and can make life easier for the people of the state.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for providing the necessary atmosphere for the provision of the palliative, noting his assurances that President Tinubu meant well for the country and that he would ensure Nigerians got out of the economic trial the country is facing in no distant future.
