The Federal Government has commenced distribution of 26,404 bags of maize, millet and sorghum to vulnerable Nigerians in Sokoto State as palliatives.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, inaugurated the distribution in Sokoto on Sunday.
Speaking while flagging off the distribution, Kyari said the effort was aimed at cushioning the economic hardship faced by citizens in the state, with the gesture to cover all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
He explained that the exercise was part of the fulfilment of President Bola Tinubu’s promise to reduce the impact of the current economic hardship in the country, given the approval for the release of 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted food commodities from the National Strategic Reserve.
In his remarks, Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State said the current economic hardship affected people across the globe and commended President Tinubu on the initiative.
He assured of adherence to stipulated guidelines for the distribution of the items and urged committee members to live up to expectations.
He charged committee members to be transparent in all dealings and promised to augment the Federal Government’s efforts through the provision of more palliative items.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mrs Zubaida Umar, said that based on the allocation table, Sokoto was allocated 10,120 bags of maize, 11,960 bags of sorghum and 4,324 bags of millet.
“Based on the directives of Mr President, 20 per cent of the food items due for each LGA should be given to religious organisations and three per cent to boarding schools in the local government areas”, she said
According to her, distribution committees were instituted in each local government area, which is made up of the chairman of the council, the State Emergency Management Agency and a traditional ruler.
Umar said membership of the committees included representatives of the Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, faith-based organisations and the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees.
She listed other members of the committee as the Nigerian Red Cross Society, women’s associations, persons with disability groups, youth associations, principals of boarding schools, civil society organisations and the media.
