The Federal Government has monetized the distribution of food items to be distributed to the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to cushion the effects of subsidy removal from petroleum products in the country.
The Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju in a statement said the Federal Government would give the value of money for the purchase of rice to States.
Giving an update on measures to cushion the effects of petroleum subsidy removal, the Commissioner said there would be a delay in the distribution of food items to residents of the state because of the monetization policy of the federal government.
Ademola-Olateju said “Starting this August as earlier promised, pensioners will get their N10,000 paid at the same time they are getting their salaries. Also, vulnerable people in our communities will start getting their N10,000 from the first week of September. For Public servants, the outstanding leave bonus for 2020 will be paid along with their salaries this month.”
Explaining the challenges in food supply, the Commissioner said “The number of bags of rice we got from the Federal government is way below what was promised. Instead, the Federal government has monetized the value of the rice.
“As a result, we are getting vendors to supply us food items to meet our projections. Supply of these products and their packaging into smaller bags will take time.
“However, we will save time using a rolling plan. Our plan will roll out these items in batches by Senatorial District, for efficient distribution and monitoring. We expect to begin the distribution of food items by September 1st.
“The roadshow to empower small and medium scale enterprises will begin next week. During this time, our officials will meet business owners in where they operate and give them grants in line with their size and output.
“Our plan for the provision of farm inputs to farmers will also start next week. On transportation, the plan for school buses and boats is in top gear. We are confident we will be ready by the time school starts.
“Once again, we reiterate that we feel your pain, we are in this together, and we will get through this testy phase of our nation’s path to greatness. On the palliative measures we have planned, we are committed to equitable distribution and transparent conduct, as we seek to mitigate the current hardship.”
