Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has announced the commencement of N5 billion palliatives as part of measures to cushion the impact of the current socio-economic hardship being experienced by residents.
Briefing Journalists on Wednesday, the Governor also approved food palliatives for about 300,000 vulnerable households across the three Senatorial districts of the state, as well as offset of outstanding deductions to state workers to the tune of N500m monthly.
Abiodun also announced N50,000 support for about 27,000 Ogun State students in tertiary institutions across the country, insurance package for 70,000 residents and pregnant women, among other palliatives.
The Governor 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, 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.’’
He said, “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.
“We are 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.”
He said his administration would provide insurance health cover for over 70,000 beneficiaries to include pregnant women, children, the elderly, market women and other members of the informal sector, while pregnant women, under the Ibidero Scheme would be provided free pre-natal care, an additional N5,000 per birth and free post-natal care in the State Hospitals and Primary Health Care Centers across the State.
He added, “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 continues 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.’’
He noted that his administration would not be insensitive to the challenges being faced by the citizens, appreciating the people for their perseverance, patience and understanding.
He said, “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.’’
