March 22, (THEWILL) – Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, has flagged off the distribution of assorted grains, including millet, sorghum and parboiled rice as Ramadan palliatives to the people of the state.
Speaking at the ceremony in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, Governor Idris said the gesture was in furtherance of the compassionate policy of his administration as a caring government.
“The flag off is a public declaration of my commitment to help those in need and provide relief to those affected by the present socio-economic problems.
“It is a way of showing solidarity and support to the people and for them to have access to resources to survive. It is a symbolic gesture of communality and being each other’s brother’s keeper,” he said.
According to the Governor, the distribution of the grains was also an interim measure to bring succour to the people of the state.
He directed all those entrusted with the distribution of the grains to ensure that all the people of the state were given their due share.
“The Kebbi State Government is the government of the people, hence the food items should be shared irrespective of party affiliation.
“Politicking is over, elections are over, what remains is good governance. Nobody should be left out, no party differences,” he added.
Governor Idris, however, warned distribution committees at all levels against any form of sharp practice, adding that any government official found diverting the grains would be severely dealt with, leading to the removal from office.
The Governor announced the approval for the payment of 2024 leave grants and also directed the Ministry of Finance to immediately pay March salary from this Thursday to further bring succour to civil servants in the state.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Shehu Mu’azu, commended the Governor for approving the procurement of the assorted grains of hundreds of thousands of bags for the welfare of his people.
Mu’azu said what was being distributed was twenty percent of the entire grains procured by the government while the distribution of the remaining balance would be done subsequently in phases.
He said grains accruing to all the twenty-one Local Government Areas of the State have already been despatched to the headquarters of the local governments.
Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
