Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, has concluded the initial phase of delivering food items as palliatives to approximately 420,000 vulnerable residents in the state.
Commencing the distribution at the emir’s palace in Gombe, the governor clarified that these provisions were procured using the palliative grant granted to the state by the federal government.
Governor Yahaya disclosed that Gombe received N2 billion from the N5 billion relief fund allocated by the federal government to states. This allocation aimed to purchase food items for distributing to vulnerable individuals, mitigating the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
He noted that the government is awaiting the balance of funds as well as N1 billion worth of maize, which each state will obtain from the national strategic reserve through the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He commended the federal government for offering relief funds to every state in the federation. Out of this sum, 48% constitutes a loan that must be repaid over a 20-month period at N120 million per month, starting in November of this year.
The governor expressed concern about the persistent food crisis across the nation. He characterized this issue as a multifaceted challenge requiring comprehensive solutions from all stakeholders. He emphasized that while government-issued palliatives can provide temporary relief, they are not a permanent solution.
“Despite series of palliatives distribution from the government, the problem of rising cost of food commodities persists, because that is not the way to go. Palliatives will not provide permanent solution to the problem. It is therefore pertinent on all stakeholders to find a permanent solution to the problem”, he stated.
