Niger State governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, has declared the 6th to 8th of September a public holiday for the distribution of palliatives across the state.
According to the Nation, the governor also stated that anyone caught diverting any of the palliatives or the money meant for the palliatives would face a jail term.
Speaking during a maiden press conference at the Government House in Minna, Bago disclosed that the state government has received N3 billion as cash palliatives and five trucks of rice from the federal government, adding that the state government is still expecting the balance of N2 billion and 40,000 bags of maize from the federal government.
He said: “N10 million will be distributed per ward in 21 local government areas, while wards in Bida, Suleja, Kontagora, and Chachanga local government areas would get N20 million each. N80 million will be given to traditional institutions so that they won’t put their hands on what is meant for the people; N75 million will be provided for the IDPs; N150 million will be given to political parties so that they won’t divert the palliatives; and N110 million will be given for logistics and security.
“The federal government is sending us 40,000 bags of maize, and we have 4,950 polling units; we are sharing 10 bags of maize per polling unit. We will be augmenting 10,000 bags, which will cost us N575 million. The total value would be N5,230,550,000. The state would add N230 billion to the N5 billion that would be given by the federal government.
“The monies would be transferred on Monday to the local government accounts. Everybody must go and sit down in their wards and local government. You must not buy rice. If your people are used to eating beans or yam, buy it for them.
The local government and wards would decide what to buy. We decided not to decentralise this money so that we could spread the wealth back to the people.”
