The National Emergency Management Agency has officially handed over a significant quantity of food supplies to the Akwa Ibom State Government, as part of federal efforts to alleviate economic hardship.
The supplies include 24,180 bags of 50kg maize and 5,828 bags of 25kg garri, which are designated for distribution to vulnerable citizens across the state.
According to The PUNCH, during the handover ceremony in Uyo on Wednesday, NEMA’s Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, highlighted the importance of the gesture in fulfilling President Bola Tinubu’s promise to lessen the burden of the ongoing economic challenges in the country.
Represented by Mrs. Mmandu Aisueni, the agency’s Head of Operations in Akwa Ibom, Umar emphasized that the distribution of the food commodities would be managed through carefully constituted committees in each Local Government Area.
Umar provided clear guidelines for the formation of these committees, which are to include key figures such as the LGA Chairman, representatives from the State Emergency Management Agency, and traditional rulers. She further directed that religious organizations, specifically the Jama’atu Nasril Islam and the Christian Association of Nigeria would receive 20% of the allocated food items, while 3% would be designated for boarding schools within each LGA.
The remaining food supplies will be equally distributed among the local communities.
“Mr. President approved the release of 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted food commodities from the National Strategic Reserve, which is overseen by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMoA&FS),” stated Umar. “These commodities include maize, millet, sorghum, and garri. Today, we are here to hand over the allocated portion to Akwa Ibom State for onward distribution to the deserving beneficiaries.”
Umar further noted that Akwa Ibom’s allocation consists of 1,209 metric tonnes of maize, equating to 24,180 bags of 50kg, and 145.1 metric tonnes of garri, which is 5,828 bags of 25kg.
In response, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Offiong Offor, expressed gratitude on behalf of the Akwa Ibom State Government.
Offor commended President Tinubu for his timely intervention, acknowledging that this effort would help ease the strain of rising food prices on residents.
“This intervention is timely and will go a long way in mitigating the high cost of food items in the country,” Dr. Offor remarked, pledging that the state government would ensure the proper and fair distribution of the food items to those most in need.
