Ogun State Government said it will embark on immediate N5 billion worth of intervention to cushion the effects of the current economic hardship on residents.
Governor Dapo Abiodun, who announced this on Wednesday evening during the emergency briefing of newsmen inside Chief Olusegun Osoba Press Centre at Oke Mosan Governor’s Office Abeokuta, said the intervention covers grants to indigent students, food palliative to vulnerable households, insurance cover for pregnant women and gradual offsetting outstanding deductions.
Breaking it down, Abiodun announced N50,000 grants will be given to each of the 27,600 students of Ogun indigene spread across the tertiary institutions in the country while N10,000 will be paid to each of the 100,000 pupils/students in public primary and secondary schools in addition to donation of five pieces of exercise books to the 850,000 students in public primary and secondary schools.
The Governor said garri, rice and other food items will be distributed to 300,000 households in the State while N500 million will be committed monthly towards offsetting the outstanding and unremitted workers’ deduction.
Abiodun said: “Today, we come together in the face of the prevailing economic realities vis a viz: high inflation and currency devaluation in the country. As an Administration, we are not oblivious nor insensitive to these challenges being faced by our citizens.
“I therefore on behalf of this Government, want to appreciate the perseverance, patience and understanding of all the good people of Ogun State. Let me assure you that the present economic situation is just a transient phase that will soon pass.
“Whatever we experience now are just necessary sacrifices that we have to make towards ensuring a greater tomorrow. In a special way, we extend our appreciation to the President and Commander-In-Chief of Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for his continuous efforts in navigating the complexities of our nation’s economic landscape. His dedication to steering the ship through turbulent times has not gone unnoticed. Even the IMF and World Bank have commended these initiatives. It is this sincerity of purpose that is the main ingredient of the continued success of the “Renewed Hope” Agenda.
”The Federal Government is not only steadfast in its commitment towards creating a brighter future for all citizens but is also trying hard to foster a society where prosperity and well-being of the entire citizens prevail. As a State, we identify with this beacon of “Renewed Hope” in these challenging times. Together, we shall overcome the adversities and build a stronger, more resilient nation.
“As our administration acknowledges the concerns raised by many of our citizens regarding the rising food prices and shortages, coupled with the depreciation of the Naira, we identify with you and are taking proactive measures to alleviate the impact of these challenges to guarantee the welfare, well-being and wellness of our citizens in this difficult time. In this direction and through targeted interventions, we aim to address these challenges by implementing a series of phased initiatives aimed at alleviating these burdens on all our citizens.
“The State has taken the following steps:Education Sector:Providing a minimum of 5 exercise books for all 850,000 students in our public primary and secondary schools. Providing a one-time N10,000 education support grant for at least 100,000 pupils in our public primary and secondary schools in the state.Providing all 27,600 indigent students in tertiary institutions nationwide with an education grant of N50,000 each.
“Health Sector:We will be providing insurance health cover for over 70,000 beneficiaries to include pregnant women, children, the elderly, market women and other members of the informal sector. More specifically, for pregnant women, under our Ibidero Scheme, we would be providing free pre-natal care, an additional N5,000 per birth and free post-natal care in our State Hospitals and Primary Health Care Centers across the State.
“Food Palliatives: Provision of food palliatives to include rice and other food items for about 300,000 households across the State. Civil Servants:The State Government will commence to offset the backlog of inherited deductions. To this end, we are immediately committing N500 million monthly payment towards outstanding deductions. It is noteworthy that we have continued to pay N10,000 transport allowance to all civil servants for the last 8 months. This brings our total immediate interventions as a responsible State Government to about N5 billion across all sectors of the State economy.
“Our primary responsibility as a government is to provide security of lives and properties to all residents in the State. I have met with the law enforcement agencies in our State and let me be clear, I will not allow anyone to test our will. Anyone who wants to test our will, will do so at their own peril. While the road ahead may be challenging, your patience, understanding and cooperation are crucial as we navigate these challenging times together.
“Together, we will work towards building a society that leaves no one behind which is also the essence of the successful implementation of our “Building our Future Together” Agenda & the “Renewed Hope”.
