The Ondo State Government has rolled out palliatives to mitigate the effect of the removal of fuel subsidies.
This was made known by the Finance Commissioner, Wale Akinterinwa, while speaking with journalists in Akure, the state capital, explaining that the palliative measures will address pocketbook issues affecting citizens of the state.
Akinterinwa, the Chairman of the Palliative Strategy and Implementation Committee, disclosed that on transportation, the state government “will restore free shuttle buses for students starting from resumption in September until December 31st.
“Thereafter, affordable rates will be charged from January 2024. In like manner, free shuttle boats equipped with life jackets will be available for students in riverine areas starting at resumption in September until December 31st. Thereafter, affordable rates will be charged starting in January 2024.
“We will immediately deploy all existing buses in all MDAs to serve as free shuttle buses to public servants until December 31st.
“Additional CNG Buses will be purchased to convey public servants to and from work at no cost to them until December 31st.
“In addition to the provision of free shuttle buses earlier mentioned, there will be immediate payment of the 2020 leave bonus to public servants.
“It should be noted that the state government has already paid leave bonuses for 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Speaking on Social Intervention, the commissioner said that “unconditional cash transfer—for three months, ten thousand Naira (N10,000) will be given to selected vulnerable persons in every Local Government.
“All pensioners in the state, be they local government or state, will get ten thousand Naira (N10,000) each starting this August until December 2023.
“Free food packages will be distributed to 1 million households across the 18 local governments in the state.
“Farm inputs at subsidised rates will be made available to farmers. Our poultry and fish farmers will be given free drugs, maize, and feed for their birds and fish. In addition, training on local feed formulation and production will be given to them to help them look inward.
“Agrochemicals, seeds, drip lines, farm tools, and power tillers will be given at subsidised rates. In riverine areas, free fishing nets and subsidised kilns will be made available.
“To ease the movement of farm produce, tricycles will be given free to farming communities. This will be supervised by officially recognised, community-based stakeholder groups.
“The state government has authorised the immediate suspension of haulage fee collection on all non-graded agricultural produce. These are products that are consumed locally and not exported.
Akinterinwa further said that the state government has suspended hospital registration and consultation fees.
He said that “the government will reimburse the hospitals directly based on existing data.
Akinterinwa said further that, while commenting on Small and Medium Enterprises, she stated that various categories of small and medium enterprises will benefit from the state government’s financial assistance, adding that money for nano, small, and medium enterprises will be disbursed through existing government channels.
“Students who are engaged in nano businesses on campus are not excluded.
” They will also get financial support. The money for nano, small, and medium enterprises will be disbursed through existing government channels.
The commissioner added that “students who run nanobusinesses on campus are not left out. They will also get monetary support.
