- * To Distribute 88,889 Bags Of 25kg Rice
- Sets Aside N300m As Unconditional Cash Transfer
By Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu (Bauchi State Correspondent)
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, at the weekend, flagged-off the official commencement of distribution of palliatives with 88,889 bags of 25kg rice to be given to the beneficiaries across the state.
Speaking at the launching ceremony held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi, the governor also said unconditional cash transfers of N10,000 each to beneficiaries across the state amounting to the sum of N300,000,000 would also be given with key consideration to orphans, vulnerable children, women, people living with disabilities, the poor and the aged persons, among others.
Governor Mohammed applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for initiating a national palliative package to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal, saying that part of the interventions included the provision of five trailer loads of rice as well as N5,000,000,000 to each state in either cash or grains.
He noted that the palliative was made up partly as a grant by the Federal Government for 52% of the sum, with the remaining 48% booked as a loan payable over a period of 20 months, to support the states to provide additional palliatives.
The governor said in Bauchi state, in anticipation of the obvious effects, his administration had proactively introduced a number of measures including the provision of 30 new mass transit buses, operated at subsidized rates within intra state routes, aimed at alleviating the sufferings of the citizens.
He announced the sum of N800,000,000 as outstanding gratuities with N680,000,000 for the payment of 100% yearly Leave Transport Grant (LTG) to civil servants of both State and Local Governments in addition to the engagement of 1,000 volunteers at various health facilities at the rate of N10,000 for a period of 6 months.
"We have constituted a committee headed by the Deputy Governor to handle the onerous task of recommending immediate interventions to alleviate the sufferings of our people. The Committee had widespread membership comprised of government officials from the relevant MDAs, the traditional institution, religious leaders, organized labour, Civil Society Organizations, the security agencies and the students’ unions, among others.
"Settlement of Gratuity in Bauchi State like most other states in the country, had been battling with accumulated gratuity inherited from past administrations. Despite the consistent efforts of government to come up with various means towards addressing the lingering issue, the accumulated outstanding remains unresolved. It was therefore recommended that part of the fund available for the provision of palliatives be deployed to defray part of the outstanding gratuity.
"Beyond reducing the outstanding obligations of the Government, the settlement will also provide immediate liquidity to the beneficiaries to mitigate the negative impact brought by inflation.
"The payment of Leave Transport Grant (LTG) to civil servants was stopped about 11 years ago. This affects all civil servants on Harmonised Public Service Salary Structure (HAPSS) with the payment anticipated to affect more than 80% of the civil servants in the State thereby reducing their hardship.
"In addition, the payment will also go a long way to reduce the stock of outstanding liabilities against the State and will serve as further motivation to get the best in terms of productivity from the civil servants."
According to him, recognizing that palliatives provide only fleeting succour, in Bauchi state, the state government will continue to strengthen the existing empowerment and poverty alleviation programmes that address skills acquisition, stimulate production, empower micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) and create employment opportunities for teeming youth, women and able-bodied men.
He recalled that, his administration’s Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme (KEEP) has empowered many previously unemployed youth through the provision of income generating support such as capital, equipment, raw materials and various inputs and added that the KEEP has taken many families out of poverty by providing motorcycles to 10, 000 beneficiaries as well as 1000 tricycles (keke NAPEP) and 350 vehicles to other beneficiaries for intra and inter-state transport.
Governor Bala Mohammed said similarly the administration has trained thousands of youth in modern agricultural practices, hairdressing, fashion designing, cloth-weaving and digital competences, all aimed at creating a genre of self-employed youth who are sufficiently motivated and equipped to form the foundation in government's quest to raise the GPD of the state and by extension the living standards of the people.
On his part, the State Deputy Governor and Chairman State Palliative Committee, Mohammed Auwal Jatau, said Governor Bala Mohammed's foresight and vision to partner with the federal government in providing relief to citizens during these challenging times deserves commendation.
The Deputy Governor congratulated the beneficiaries of the palliative materials, saying their patience, understanding, and cooperation throughout the process have been remarkable and assured that the administration of Governor Bala Mohammed remains committed to supporting citizens of the at challenging times.
Earlier, the chairman of the palliative distribution committee and Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaimanu Adamu, assured of their commitment to ensure justice in the distribution of the palliative to the targeted beneficiaries. NNL.