Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State at a joint media briefing, with State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Suleiman, as well as other members of the palliative committee, which include representatives civil society organisations, rolled out a comprehensive palliative support programme to cushion the hardship caused by the sudden removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu.
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Governor Sani disclosed that that 210,000 indigent households, comprising 1,050,000 vulnerable persons will benefit from the N2 billion palliative fund so far disbursed by the Federal Government to the state.
He highlighted that the palliatives intervention would be implemented in three phases, beginning with the distribution of food items to poor and vulnerable households.
According to the governor, the second and third phases will include the procurement of free buses to ease transportation challenges, supporting farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises with fertilisers and incentives to boost their businesses.
Governor Sani maintained that the remaining two phases of the palliative intervention will take care of transportation and assistance to smallholder farmers; micro, small and medium-scale enterprises; including the resuscitation of train services across the three senatorial districts of Kaduna State, which, he noted, are key to cushion the sufferings of the people.
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The governor stated that in the commencement of the distribution of palliatives to the people, the State Government is committed to the effective implementation of measures lined up in the three phases and has put all necessary machinery in place to ensure the exercise is hitch-free, transparent and equitable.
The Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, was appointed head of a joint committee which was established to supervise the implementation of the palliative support programme.
The committee comprises of representatives of the Organized Labour, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, market unions, and people living with disabilities.
The state government has accepted the recommendations of the committee to ensure transparency and effectiveness in the implementation of the palliatives.