Delta State Government has mapped out strategies for the distribution of palliatives to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on the people.
Secretary to the State Government and Chairman, State Subsidy Palliative Committee, Dr Kingsley Emu, outlined the procedure at a news conference in Asaba.
Emu said the state would adopt a distribution model of 40 percent to 500 Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC Wards in the state with 10 percent reserved to shore up urban wards.
He further stated that 25 percent would be distributed to heavily impacted people consisting of Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs) and widows, while 20 percent would be for poor and vulnerable households and five percent for contingency for the LGAs.
According to the SSG, every local government area would receive 696 50kg bags of rice, while maize would also be distributed to poultry farmers across the state.
He said the food items to be distributed across the state wete facilitated by the Federal Government which had granted loans to the states repayable in 20 months.
Emu said: “As a state we have commenced the process of distributing the palliatives for a long time by embarking on the payment of N5.522 billion promotion arrears to workers which commenced since August.
“We have also commenced the payment of N10,000 to over 50,196 workers since August and the recruitment of 2,000 primary school teaching and non-teaching staff across the state.
“Governor Oborevwori also approved the commencement of three working days rotational scheme for civil servants on Salary Grade Levels 1-14, while staff on SGL 15 and above are to work out what is convenient for them in their respective MDAs, even as essential services remain uninterrupted”.
The SSG further said the state government guaranteed N40bn pensions payment for local government workers and retired primary school teachers with payment commencing in September.
“We are also working on purchasing tricycles (Keke) bi-fuel engine (petrol and gas) to be distributed across the three senatorial districts.
“Finally we are also in discussion with several organisations to provide CNG and EV powered inter and intra city commuter buses through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) option”.
Emu called on journalists and well meaning individuals to help monitor the distribution process to ensure the items got to the target recipients.
He, however, assured that with the measures taken by the state government in the selection of the Palliatives Distribution Committee at various levels, the process of distribution would be seamless across the state.
He said the Local Government Monitoring Team would consist of a non-patisan and trusted leader as Chairman, with representation from traditional rulers, religious leaders, representatives of NULGE, women and youth.
The SSG explained that the Ward Committee was made up of a non-partisan and trusted leader as Chairman, representative of the traditional rulers, Presidents-General or representatives of the communities or quarters and a credible NGO representative.
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