Governor Usman Ododo has flagged off the distribution of bags of rice to vulnerable citizens of Kogi state to cushion the effects of current economic hardship.
Speaking at the flag-off of first quarter 2024 food palliatives distribution in Lokoja on Tuesday, Ododo warned those saddled with the responsibility of distributing the palliative not to hoard nor sell the relief materials provided by government.
He expressed his commitment to personally oversee the distribution process to guarantee that the intended recipients, particularly the most vulnerable, receive the necessary support.
The Governor stressed the significance of ensuring that the grassroots population benefits from the rice palliative initiative and warned against any attempts by political figures to divert the allocated resources, emphasizing that strict measures have been put in place to prevent such misconduct.
According to him, the palliatives will not be distributed along party, ethnic or religious lines, adding that the targeted beneficiaries are the poorest of the poor in Kogi State.
“My administration will not allow any unpatriotic element to cheat the people.
“The government has put mechanisms in place to track and apprehend those who plan to hoard the distribution of these food items.
“The palliative is not for APC alone, there is no religious or ethnic agenda. It is for the people of Kogi State.
“I want to beg all of us to allow the poor breath. I am part of them. I was raised from them. I am committed to serve them, not as a leader but as their servant,” Ododo said.
The Governor, however, thanked President Ahmed Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his quick intervention to reduce hardship in the country.
In his speech, Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, RT. Hon. Yusuf Umar, lamented the unbearable soaring commodity prices in Lokoja and other parts of the state and urged the government to put in place mechanism to stem the tide.
Hajia Rabiatu Okute, the State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, highlighted the objective of the palliative distribution as a means to alleviate the hardships faced by citizens due to the recent removal of fuel subsidies by the federal government.
She assured that this initiative, the first of its kind and to be conducted quarterly, aims to eradicate hunger in the state.
She highlighted that these palliatives, the first of many to come on a quarterly basis, are intended to eradicate hunger in the state.
“This initiative is a fulfillment of the governor’s campaign promises, and I can assure the people that Governor Ododo’s administration will continue to deliver more benefits of democracy,” she stated.
Comrade Gabriel Amari, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), expressed gratitude to the Governor for the palliatives and pledged that the Congress would ensure that every worker in the state receives their share of the rice bags.
