BE EQUITABLE AND TRANSPARENT IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF PALLIATIVES, SAYS AIYEDATIWA. ...Acting Governor Inuagurates LG Committee on Palliatives Distribution.

By Our Correspondent

Ondo State Acting Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa has charged the newly inuagurated Local Government Committee on distribution of palliatives to be through, sincere and honest in the assignment given them by the State Government.

He enjoined the LG Committee members to put into consideration the need to include specified people which are, disable, old age, youths, traditional/religious leaders and the poorest of the poor in their respective Local Government.

Aiyedatiwa gave this advice shortly after he inuagurated all the members of the Local Government Palliatives Distribution Committee, held at Cocoa Conference Hall, Governor Office, Alagbaka Akure on Tuesday.

"In your assignment, let's be sincere, thorough and honest with the names you are generating in your Local Government" .

"Sincerity in this assignment which includes thoroughness, planning and execution of the assignment given you will remove bias and insinuations from people" , Aiyedatiwa advised.

Earlier, the chairman of the State Committee on Palliatives Distribution and Commissioner of Finance, Hon Wale Akinterinwa explained to LG Committee members to see that palliatives distribution is done seamlessly to beneficiaries, irrespective of political or religious divide.

He said palliatives are meant for residents of all ethnic groups and the poorest of the poor in each Local Government.

And that, non-resident indigenes of any LGA is not entitled to the palliatives notwithstanding the fact that, it is his/her place of origin.

Akinterinwa equally disclosed the template to use in compiling names of beneficiaries which must be generated through consensus and should be endorsed by the Local Government Committee members.

Palliatives Distribution Committee members in each Local Government are :

A- Cabinet members and members of House of Assembly in each LG as co-chairmen.

B - Local Government Chairmen.

C- 1 representative of Security Agencies in each LG.

D - 1 representative of Council of Obas in each LG.

E - 1 representative of CAN in each LG.

F - 1 representative of Muslim community in each LG.

G- 2 notable leaders, not party leaders from each LG.

H - 1 representative from civil society in each LG.

I - Local Government Secretary in the Local Government Council.

The state chairman, media committee on palliatives distribution and Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Yeye-Oba Bamidele Ademola-Olateju disclosed that, the total number of bags of rice to be distributed in this first phase is 23,900.

The State Government got 9,600 bags of Rice from Federal Government so far. Ondo State has bought over 10,000 bags. The state has been getting shipments from the Federal government almost daily and from projections, the Committee expect to have 23,900 bags of rice to distribute by September 12, in the first phase of the project, she disclosed.

"With the template given to LG Committee members, the State Government is committed to probity, accountability and transparency, so that people's confidence will be high on the distribution of the palliatives" , she said.

Bamidele Ademola-Olateju also disclosed that 1000 vulnerable persons will be given N10,000 in each for three months in  each of the Eighteen Local Government areas of the state.

The following items are some of the packages for beneficiaries in the State, namely;

A - Bags of Rice

B - Free shuttle Bus and boat rides  for students.

C- 41,000 bags of Maize.

D - Food items like cassava flour, beans, Gari and others.

E - Tricycles, Hand tillers, boots, herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers for farmers.

F - Free Fish nets.

G - Free kilns  for women to add value to fish selling.

H - Free life Jackets for students taking boat shuttle to school.

G. Money for nano businesses in local government areas.

Etc.

The information Commissioner informed Committee members that, the first phase of palliatives distributions of 23,900 bags of Rice will be simultaneously done in each of the designated centers in all the Local Government in the State on Tuesday, September 12, 2023.

This is just phase one of the distributions, people should expect more in the coming days, she said.

Others at the event are, Deputy Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Abayomi Akinruntan with  other members of the State House of Assembly, Secretary to the State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu, Head of Service, Pastor Kayode Ogundele, members of the State Executive Council, Political appointees, top government officials and others.