Lifestyle

Collaborate with Govt in distributing palliatives – Abiodun

By Web News 307

By Abimbola Bamgbose

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has urged Non-Governmental Organizations, NGOs, charitable groups, and individuals planning to distribute palliative support to the public to collaborate with the government.

 He emphasized that such coordination is necessary to prevent chaos and potential loss of lives.

Governor Abiodun made this appeal during a visit to his Oyo State counterpart, Governor Seyi Makinde, in Ibadan.

The visit followed last week’s tragic stampede in the city. According to Abiodun, the incident could have been avoided if the state government had been actively involved in the distribution process.

Speaking as Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Abiodun expressed deep sorrow over the incident, adding that the Forum stands in solidarity with Oyo State.

He conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims, prayed for the repose of the departed souls, and extended his best wishes to the people of Oyo State for a peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

In his response, Governor Makinde thanked Abiodun for the visit, describing it as a chance to share ideas that would benefit both states. He revealed plans for a Peer Review meeting between Ogun and Oyo states in the coming year to explore areas of mutual learning and collaboration.

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Economy

Passion Week: Ogun Govt. Distributes Palliatives

By Web News 390

By Wuraola Bamgbose

As Passion Week begins, the Ogun State Government has distributed palliative to Christians across the state to cushion the effects of the economic challenges currently facing the nation 

The palliatives, which included rice, were shared in churches in the three senatorial districts of the State.

In Ogun Central senatorial District, the palliatives were extended to worshippers at St Peters Cathedral, Ake, SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church,  Isale-Ake and Celestial  Church of Christ, CCC, Ijaiye in Abeokuta South local government area.

Also, in Ogun East Senatorial District, worshippers at Cathedral Church of St. Paul, C & S Orisun Emi Alafia, and United Baptist Church at Sagamu in Sagamu Local Government also benefitted from the palliatives distribution.

Similar distributions were made in Ogun West Senatorial District churches, including Rhema Cathedral, CAC Oke Segun, Akiniku, and Ilaro.

Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke with our correspondent, including the Shepherd in charge of Celestial  Church of Christ, CCC, Ijaiye, commended the governor for the kind gesture, noting that the palliatives was another means of alleviating the suffering of the people.

They described Governor Abiodun as a man who cared about the welfare of the people and promised to continue to contribute their quota to the development of the state.

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Economy

Ogun Distributes Rice to 300,000 Residents

By Web News 834 Post a comment

By Oluwatoyin Adegoke

Ogun State government has officially commenced the distribution of rice to the residents as palliatives to cushion the effect of subsidy removal.

A ceremony organised in Abeokuta, the state capital to flag off the distribution exercise also featured the official inauguration of a Central Working Committee saddled with the responsibility of ensuring efficient and effective distribution of the items to the grassroots.

The committee announced plans to distribute a total of three hundred thousand pieces of packaged rice, weighing 10 kilogrammes each to residents using the 5,400 polling units across the state as distribution centres. 

In separate remarks, the representatives of Pensioners, People with Special Needs and Community Development Committees appealed to the relevant authorities to strengthen measures that would promote equitable distribution of the palliatives. 

Addressing the gathering, a member of the House of Representatives, Mrs Adewunmi Onanuga, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mrs Bolanle Ajayi and the Iyaloja General of the state, Alhaja Yemisi Abass appreciated the Federal and State governments for implementing the initiative towards making life more comfortable for the people. 

Responding,the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun while applauding the Federal Government’s intervention expressed optimism that the residents would feel the impact of the palliatives within the next one week. 

Governor Abiodun restated his confidence in the ability of the Central Working Committee to handle the palliatives distribution effectively and appealed to the people to be patient with the government as the ongoing efforts would help to reposition the country for greatness. 

Economy

Osun Inaugurates Standing Committee on Palliatives Distribution

By Web News 464

By Adenitan Akinola 

The Osun State Government has inaugurated a standing committee charged with the responsibility of distributing palliatives to residents and vulnerable citizens of the state. 

The State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr kolapo Alimi made this known while addressing the journalists on the update of the palliatives. 

Mr Alimi also hinted that the 5billion naira promised by the Federal Government to the state as part measures to cushion effects of subsidy was yet to be received contrary to the rumour being spread in the public.

However, he said the state was expecting the second batch of Federal Government food Palliatives of 14,320 bags of rice.

“The committee has just been inaugurated, by the Deputy Governor of the stat, Prince Kola Adewusi on Wednesday. The committee is more concerned about the assignment. We have representatives of CAN, Muslims Community, Labour leaders and other stakeholders.

“The most important thing is that before we have been telling you that we have received 2,400 as it’s today we have received 3000 bags of rice and we are still expecting over 14,000 rice plus. In their own wisdom they try to say it will be better to distribute 17,000 once rather than distributing 3,000 that on ground now.

“As it is today we heard that N5bilion is given to each of the states, we have not receive any kobo but we are expecting that it would be received and I can tell you immediately the money is received our governor is always transparent he will equally address state on it.

“In our account book we have not received alert or any money in relation to N5billion Palliatives. what we have received in concrete term happens to be 3000 bags of rice. We call on stakeholders to dispel the rumour.

He explained that the state government was finalizing the template for distribution which he promised would ensure that all segments of the society benefit from the distribution exercise.

“The Government wants to ensure full delivery before launching out on the distribution. We assure the public of transparency and accountability in the sharing of the foodstuffs to the citizenry”, 

Speaking on behalf of the committee, Alhaji Mustapha Olawuyi who represented the Muslim community said, the 3,000 bags of rice received were intact and were yet to be distributed .

He urged the general public to be rest assured that as soon as the next batch arrives, they will be distributed accordingly, adding that vulnerable people will be the first to be considered.


However, the State Government has denied the rumour that 3,000bags of rice received as Palliatives from the Federal Government to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal have been shared among politicians.

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Economy

Ekiti Govt. Rolls Out Palliative Measures

By Web News 547

By Kazeem Ayodeji

As part of efforts to cushion the effect of the recent fuel subsidy removal on workers in Ekiti State and other residents, Government has rolled out palliative measures to ameliorate their sufferings.

Addressing newsmen in Ado Ekiti, the chairman of the Palliative Committee and Commissioner for Finance, Mr Akin Oyebode said the arrangements were arrived at after a thorough consultative move and deliberations by members of the committee.

Mr Oyebode said based on recommendations by the Committee, Governor Biodun Oyebanji had approved immediate payment of one year leave bonus for both the State and Local Government workers, as well as payment of one month arrears for pensioners of both government tiers and payment of one month subvention arrears to tertiary institutions.

Other approved measures include payment of consequential adjustment on minimum wage for state and LG workers on grade level 14 to 17,  provision of free shuttle buses for workers and students, implementation of 90% CONHESS and 100% Hazard allowance for health staff as well as  implementation of financial benefits of 2020 and 2021 promotions for workers.

According to Mr Oyebode, #5000 will be paid to the poorest and vulnerable residents as conditional cash transfer to ten thousand households, starting from this month till December this year with emphases on the aged.

He added that there would also be food distribution to the people, inputs to farmers and financial support to small businesses among others.

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Economy

Oyebanji Directs Committee  to Expedite Action on Palliative Proposals

By Web News 441

The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has directed a three-man committee to meet with the leadership of the organized labour to finalize proposals for palliative measures aimed at cushioning the effects of the subsidy removal on the citizens.

The committee and the labour leaders were given one week to report back to the governor, who would then make a formal pronouncement on the options that were considered implementable.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Yinka Oyebode, in a statement on Friday, said government alone could not decide on palliative measures, hence the involvement of the leadership of organized labour.

According to Oyebode, Oyebanji said the palliative measures to be put in place would also take care of pensioners and people in the informal sector of the economy.

He noted that the governor, at the meeting with the leadership of the organized labour, also commended the leadership of labour unions in the state as well as the citizens for their understanding, stressing that the government was determined to ease the pains occasioned by the subsidy removal.

In attendance at the meeting were the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Olatunde Kolapo; the Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Sola Adigun; and the Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Committee, Babatope Ajoloko, and other officials of the unions.

The government’s three-man committee included the state Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Akin Oyebode (Chairman), the Head of Service, Bamidele Agbede and the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Oyebanji Filani.

Punch/Adebukola Aluko

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Crime

Oyo Govt. Clears Air on Palliatives Looted at Warehouse

By Web News 1028

Oyo State Government has denied ownership of the palliatives looted by hoodlums.

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Taiwo Adisa, made this known in a statement in Ibadan.

                                        TEXT

PRESS RELEASE

Palliatives looted by hoodlums not owned by Oyo govt, say Commissioner, Gov’s Media Aide

…’state to proceed with 5th round of palliatives distribution’

…as CACOVID rice supplier clears air, counts losses

The Government of Oyo State has explained that the palliatives looted by hoodlums in the early hours of Friday, October 23, 2020, at a warehouse located in Akobo area of Ibadan, the state capital, did not belong to the state government.

The Oyo State Government maintained that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde would never short-change the people, urging members of the public to discountenance the allegations and misinformation being spread on social media.

The state’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters and chairman of the Food Security and Palliative Committee of the Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force, Chief Bayo Lawal, stated these at the weekend, adding that the state is set to proceed with the fifth round of palliative distribution, which he noted was slowed down as a result of the nationwide protests.

A statement by Mr. Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, quoted Lawal as explaining that the bags of rice looted at the private warehouse in Ibadan were not the property of Oyo State.

He said that Oyo State was not supplied rice as part of the palliatives from CACOVID and that it did not distribute rice as part of the palliatives distributed to the people so far.

Adisa, in the statement, explained that some hoodlums had mistaken a private warehouse belonging to a company that operates in Ibadan, as belonging to the state government and had attacked the property and carted away bags or rice, which they erroneously thought were being hoarded by the government.

He said: “One, investigations at the moment eventually reveal that there was nothing that concerns the Oyo State government in that warehouse. 

“Two, the warehouse belongs to a private individual who operates in Oyo State and was given a valid contract by the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), a coalition of private organizations that have been helping states and the federal government to fight COVID-19, to supply them to a certain number of states. 

“So, it was the rice that he procured on his own for repackaging that was mistaken to be Oyo State’s, that hoodlums looted.”

In his own explanations, the Commissioner stated that the state government could not hoard what it did not have, explaining that CACOVID only supported the state with cash, medical items and food items including Indomie and Spaghetti.

According to Lawal, the looted palliatives at the private warehouse, which consist of mainly packaged rice, did not belong to Oyo State, adding that the remaining items meant for the next round of palliatives in the state are stored at government’s designated warehouses.

He said that none of the state’s food items is stored outside the Secretariat.

He said: “It was really a big shock earlier this morning [Friday morning] when I started receiving calls alleging that food items meant for distribution to the masses were being hoarded. But when I enquired further, I was told that the bags of rice were looted in one of our warehouses in Ibadan, in Lagelu Local Government, to be precise. But I said it was not possible, because we don’t even have any warehouse outside the secretariat. 

“All the palliatives given to us were stored in our warehouses within the secretariat, not outside. Whatever is being circulated that Oyo State was hoarding CACOVID-donated rice is wrong and baseless allegation. Though the Coalition wrote and promised to give us 62 trailer loads of rice, up till today, 23rd of October, 2020, we have not taken delivery of a single bag of rice from them. We discussed it at a recent exco meeting and the Oyo State Governor is aware of this too. So, we don’t maintain any warehouse outside the secretariat.

“We want the public to know that though CACOVID gave us indomie, spaghetti, there was nothing like rice. We are still expecting their rice up till today. 

“The rice, which was looted, belonged to a private company that happens to be a CACOVID vendor for other states. The supply comes from various vendors just like our indomie came from Lagos and the supplier also is from Lagos. There are other items too. Some even came from Edo State. So, I am not surprised that we have some of their vendors here too, but the bags of rice were meant for other states, not Oyo State.

“So, the public should be aware that the allegations and all the information being circulated about the state on the internet are not correct. We have the interest of our people at heart and we even used our own money. If we can use our money to ensure that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people got palliatives from their government, why should we deprive them if there is any donation from any organization? Why should we deprive them of the benefit of enjoying it?

“We are law-abiding citizens. We did not even buy rice. Among the items we gave out, the Oyo State Government did not give rice. All that we packaged were garri, yam-flour, beans, things we produce locally. We did not buy rice at all. So, if we did not buy rice and CACOVID that has been helping did not supply us rice, where is the rice now coming from? 

“This misinformation about the Oyo State Government hoarding rice is the work of the opposition to damage the reputation of the government. They are the ones spreading the rumour that the Oyo State Government is hoarding rice. You can’t hoard what you don’t process.”

Earlier,  the CACOVID vendor whose warehouse was vandalised, Mr. Alabi Femi Adeoye,  decried the untoward situation, stating that the looted rice at the warehouse were meant to be supplied to Abia, Cross-Rivers, Plateau and Taraba states.

He said that his company, which has been operating in Oyo State in the past five years, lost millions of Naira to the attack.

“Oyo State Government was not part of the states we were asked to supply by CACOVID,” he said, explaining how the looters swooped on his warehouse, vandalised it and carted away the food items especially the 1,850 bags of rice he procured.

He said: “On 30th of September, they(CACOVID) contacted us if we could handle the supply of rice for them. We have an interest in farming. We are farmers and we have a good network with every state. We told them we could handle it, which we were able to get the purchase order. 

“After that, we instructed our team to manage it from Ibadan, simply because we believe we can also generate revenue in Ibadan and create more jobs. We have farms in Ibadan and it has been profitable for us. And we have been able to employ a good number of the indigenes to manage our farms for us. So, these are the reasons why they gave us the job.

“Last week, we commenced this job to supply but, to my surprise, Ibadan was not captured as part of the states we should supply. We were asked to supply Abia, Cross-Rivers, Plateau and Taraba States. Other agents were given different states. I am sure one of the farmers was given Oyo State. So, we were asked to bring our rice from Kebbi and a part of Niger State. 

“We have been operating in Ibadan for quite some time. We have two warehouses in Ibadan; there is one on Iwo Road and the other is at Lagelu, which we have been managing for like five years. We have never witnessed an invasion like this because we have been so good to the community. Recently, we tried to construct about 500metres of road for them. So, I was surprised to see this kind of attack.

“But our facility was vandalized and food items worth millions of Naira were carted away. This is not a big concern to us, though we believe that these food items are meant for Nigerians but we were unable to get them to the appropriate quarters. However, property that was vandalized was worth millions of naira.”

He thanked men of the ‘Operation Burst,’ whose intervention, he said, helped to stop the total destruction of his company.

Signed:

Taiwo Adisa

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde

October 24, 2020.

Lifestyle

Mrs Makinde Distributes Palliatives to over 2000 Widows

By Web News 656

As part of efforts to cushion the present economic effect on widows, wife of Oyo State Governor, Mrs Tamunominini Makinde has distributed palliatives to over 2000 widows in the state.  

The event, held at the State House, Ibadan, had beneficiaries drawn from the 33 local government areas of the state and different nongovernmental organizations (NGO).

In an address, Mrs Makinde noted that the programme was organized to commemorate this year’s widow’s day, which was marked on 23rd of June. 

She said the event could not take place at the said date due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. 

Mrs Makinde, who lamented the difficulties confronting widows and women, said the state was poised to protecting their rights and cater for their needs.

Two widows and a widower commended Mrs Makinde for the gesture.

Items distributed were rice, beans, cassava flakes, vegetable oil and cash donation.

Ola

Health

YCC Donates Food Items to Ibadan Residents

By Web News 1181

Over one thousand less privileged residents of Ibadan have received food items as palliatives to cushion the effect of economic challenges occasioned by Coronavirus pandemic.

The palliative, which was sponsored by Youth Christian Circle of the Saint James Cathedral Oke Bola, Ibadan included rice, beans, garri and other food items.

As early as seven o’clock in the morning, hundreds of people had stormed the premises of Cathedral of Saint James, the great to secure the tally to enable them to receive the palliative. 

Speaking on the gesture, President ,Youth Christian Circle , Otunba Reuben Famuyibo, said it was part of the activities of the church society to give back to the down trodden.

Otunba Famuyibo said the palliative was not only for the church but also extended to other people and places including orphanages.

Provost, Cathedral of Saint James the great, Oke Bola, the very Reverend David Olagbaju noted that the gesture was laudable urging other societies to emulate them.

In a message through the Chief of Staff, Bisi Ilaka, Oyo state governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde commended Youth Christian Circle for assisting the less privileged during the challenging situation.

Engineer Seyi Makinde on the occasion called on other well-meaning Nigerians to use their resources to uplift others.

Some of the beneficiaries who cut across religions, tribes and status appreciated the group for bringing laughter to their homes.

One of the beneficiaries, an octogenarian said the prevailing corona virus pandemic was the consequence of human action hence the need for all to embrace piety.

It took the intervention of security agencies to control the crowd.

Dayo Adelowo

Politics

Covid-19: Palliatives for the indigent almost ready – Makinde

By Web News 950

Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde has said that some commissioners in his cabinet are presently working on palliatives for the indigents and the most vulnerable in the state to reduce the effect of Covid-19.

Governor Makinde who stated this during a phone-in segment of a radio programme in Ibadan said the stimulus package is aimed at alleviating the suffering of the less-privileged in the society in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The governor who noted that the economic stimulus was delayed due to lack of relevant data, disclosed that he has directed those in charge of the package to be transparent and accountable.

Governor Makinde, however, appealed to the resident of Oyo state to support the government in its fight against the coronavirus.

He said markets in Oyo state would be reopened and the dusk to dawn curfew be called off as soon as the government receive a favourable report from the state Covid-19 Task Force.

The commissioners working on the palliatives are state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Fausat Sanni, her counterpart in the Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mrs Funmi Orisadeyi and that of Special Duties, Mr Bayo Lawal.

Iyabo Adebisi