Economic hardship: Abiodun’s N5bn intervention palliative making live better — Akinmade

By Omobolaji Adekunle, Abeokuta

The N5 billion Ogun State Intervention Palliative meant to cushion the effect of the current economic hardship in the country is yielding positive results as it has started impacting directly on the residents of the Gateway State.

This was stated on Monday by the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media and Information, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, while speaking on an OGTV Current Affairs Program, The RoundTable.

He said that through targeted interventions, the government aims to address the current economic challenges by implementing a series of phased initiatives aimed at alleviating these suffering.

Governor Abiodun had recently announced a N5 billion intervention fund to cushion the effect of the rising cost of living and inflation in the state.

The grant, according to him, is planned to be shared as palliatives to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.

Governor Abiodun during a press conference held in Abeokuta said his administration acknowledges the current hardship in the country, occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal and the concerns raised from different quarters regarding the rising cost of food and shortages, coupled with the depreciation of the Naira.

Expressing sympathy, Governor Abiodun disclosed that proactive measures to alleviate the effect of the challenges and to guarantee the welfare, well-being and wellness of the residents of the state in this difficult time will be implemented.

Akinmade said: “Ogun is the first state to implement the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Bus initiative, to take care of transportation challenges. The buses are currently positioned in strategic routes in the state where people are meant to pay a token fee to cover a reasonable distance.

“Governor Abiodun has initiated policies with direct impact on the people. Evidence is the ongoing Educash programme that is planned to provide a one-off N10,000 education support grant for 100,000 pupils and students of public primary and secondary schools. The ongoing exercise is done in a transparent manner such that the beneficiaries have shown appreciation of the gesture coming from the state government,” Akinmade said.

According to Hon. Akinmade, 50,000 students of Ogun State origin in tertiary institutions across the country have been captured as part of the planned disbursements of N50,000 grant to each of them.

The Special Adviser added that the administration of Governor Abiodun is also providing health insurance cover for over 70,000 beneficiaries to include pregnant women, children, the elderly, market women, and other members of the informal sector.

“Pregnant women, under the Ibidero Scheme, would also be provided free prenatal care, an additional N5,000 per birth and free post-natal care in the State Hospitals and Primary Health Care Centres,” he said.

Akinmade noted that provision would be made for food palliatives to include rice and other items for about 300,000 households across the state.

“The state government has started offsetting the backlog of inherited deductions. To this end, the government has immediately committed N500 million monthly payments towards outstanding deductions.

“It is noteworthy that we have continued to pay N10,000 transport allowance to all civil servants in the state for the last eight months,” Hon. Akinmade submitted.