The Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, has decried the subsidy palliatives received by his state from the federal government.
According to him, the state received N2 billion out of the N5 billion subsidy removal palliative set by the Federal Government.
Yahaya, who also serves as Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, made the announcement on Wednesday at the grand finale of the palliative distribution at the Gombe Emir’s palace grounds.
Since last week, when the governor began the distribution in Yalmatu Deba, the delegation led by the chairman of the Gombe State Emergency Management Agency has toured nine LGAs, sharing palliatives with households and polling units.
Five kilogrammes of rice, two bags of fertiliser, two litres of insecticides, and a carton of macaroni or spaghetti are among the supplies supplied.
According to Yahaya, there would be no miracle as perceived by people who have known about the Federal Government’s N5b, revealing that just N2b has so far reached the state coffers.
He said, “We have been going round distributing across the 11 Local Government Areas. This is just a step in anticipation of what the Federal Government will give in order to provide the palliative as a result of the injuries inflicted on people because of subsidy removal because there is dislocation in the country and there are problems most of which didn’t start even now but we have to address now.
“That is why I’m emphasising that people that got these must go and use it well especially if you have a farm you can use the two fertiliser bags to ensure there is productivity on your farm.
“For those anticipating that as a result of the N5b that the Federal Government is giving to the states that there will be miracle at this N2b only hit the account of Gombe State Government and we have N2b worth of rice according to the palliative committee that we can buy as the next money is disbursed to us and grains, especially maize that we received from Central Bank that is worth N1b.
“I have my doubt as to whether the Federal Government through CBN, or through any of its agencies has that much in the reserve. For instance the grain silos in Gombe which is owned by Federal Ministry of Agriculture has been leased to a private company meaning the 25,000 tons that should have been strategic grain reserve is already out of control of the government in the private hands
“If you give N3b and ask that we go to the market and buy directly from the market it will add more inflation and the prices will go up again and the problem will persist,” he added.
Yahaya expressed dissatisfaction with palliatives, viewing them as therapeutic treatments rather than preventive maintenance that would cure hunger.
“We shall carefully look at how best to utilise our own money and ensure it gets to the correct set of people. The deputy governor will take charge of ensuring we implement the Federal Government palliatives so that it gets to the right persons.
“We have given out palliative package. I’m not happy that we are sharing palliatives I will prefer we teach people to go back to farm so that they can produce what they eat, that is what government should do instead of sharing palliatives because we are in a situation we caused ourselves.
“We backtrack, think twice, and do the needful, and inshallah I promise that I will give that effective leadership required so that together we can move forward,” Yahaya said.
