The Federal Government has commenced free distribution of 26,404 bags of maize, millet and sorghum to vulnerable Nigerians in Sokoto State.
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security handed over the items and inaugurated the distribution on Sunday in Sokoto.
Kyari said that the effort was to cushion the economic hardship faced by citizens in the state, adding that the gesture would cover all the 36 states of the federation and FCT.
He explained that the exercise was in fulfillment of President Bola Tunibu’s promise to reduce the impact of the current economic down-turn being experienced in the country.
“It is also in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President as he rightly approved the release of 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted food from the National Strategic Reserve,” he said.
In his address, Gov. Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State, said the current economic hardship was not peculiar to Nigeria but a global challenge.
He commended President Tunibu for the gesture and the choice of Sokoto to flagg-off the exercise.
Aliyu assured that the stipulated guidelines for distribution would be strictly observed and urged the committee members to ensure judicious distribution of the items.
He charged the committee members to be transparent in all dealings and pledged to argument the federal government’s efforts through provision of more palliative support to ameliorate peoples’ hardship.
In her remarks, the Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, said based on the allocation table, Sokoto would receive 10,120 bags of maize, 11,960 bags of sorghum and 4,324 bags of millet.
“Based on the directives of Mr President, 20 per cent of the food items due for each LGA should be given to religious organisations and three per cent to boarding schools in the local government areas,” she said.
According to her, distribution committees were established in each LGA, made up of the Chairman of the LGA, State Emergency Management Agency and a Traditional Ruler.
Umar said membership of the committee included representatives of Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Faith-Based Organisations and Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees.
Others were Nigerian Red Cross Society, Women Associations, Persons With Disability Groups, Youth Associations, Principals of Boarding Schools, Civil Society Organisations and the media.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was witnessed by Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Sen. Aliyu Wamakko (APC Sokoto) among others. (NAN)
