News

LASG palliatives distribution seamless, no casualties, no disruptions

Published

4 weeks ago

April 4, 2024

NewsDirect

…Sanwo-Olu attributes success to planning, stakeholders involvement

By Sodiq Adelakun

Amidst nationwide reports of chaotic scenes and tragic outcomes during the distribution of palliatives, Lagos State emerged as a beacon of effective planning and execution.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu attributes this success to meticulous planning and robust stakeholder engagement.

Unlike the chaotic scenes witnessed in other parts of the country, the distribution of food items to vulnerable households in Lagos is conducted with precision through various channels.

Utilising groups, institutions, NGOs, and community associations, the state ensures that assistance reaches those in need. The Social Protection Department, operating under the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, leverages a social register of vulnerable individuals to facilitate targeted support.

Additionally, to uphold transparency, a Monitoring Committee, comprising representatives from diverse sectors, oversees the process. This coordinated effort underscores Lagos State’s commitment to effective governance and safeguarding the welfare of its citizens.

The members were drawn from religious groups, Trade Unions, People with Disability, Civil Society/Non-Governmental organisations, Youth Group, Community Development Councils and representatives of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The distribution was phased among the various beneficiary groups for ease of distribution process. In line with this plan, each group was duly informed of the date of collection.

Sanwo-Olu had on Sept. 3, 2023, flagged-off the Lagos Food Bank Programme to distribute food to 500,000 households to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal and the harsh economic situation in the country.

The governor said over 2,500 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were involved in bag manufacturing, food aggregation, packaging, and logistics as part of the programme, while over 25,000 employees of the MSMEs are indirectly impacted.

He said the strategy was to reach 500,000 vulnerable households in the state with staple food items using two methodologies – bulk food items (50kg Rice, 50kg Garri and 100kg Beans) for groups, and food boxes (10kg Rice, 5kg Garri, and 5kg Beans) for individual vulnerable households.

Lagos Territorial Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Ibrahim Farinloye also underscored the importance of planning and stakeholders’ engagement in distribution of palliatives.

He told journalists on Wednesday in Lagos that his organisation engaged security personnel in all the steps involving the distribution of palliatives.

“In all situations we included security; at least an Area Commander and not less than five Divisional Police Offices and their teams.

“We ensure that the space to be used is big and open enough, surrounded with strong barriers that are mounted by staff of NEMA, and not by the Nigeria Police Force,” Farinloye said.

He said before the day of distribution, the agency held expanded meetings with the different stakeholders.

“First, we compile lists of all impacted members of the community, followed by sensitisation on what we intend to do and how it would impact the beneficiaries.

“Working with the community stakeholders like the Community Development Area, Traditional rulers, and political office holders and politicians within the area, we identify volatile areas in the community and give pep talks on how the community could help us to assist them.

“Our Option B is Emergency Preparedness for the exercise,” Fainloye said.

According to him, the agency takes into consideration the weather conditions and changes in temperature in the season and factored them into its plans.

He said if the distribution was carried out during the dry season, for instance, it would consider that some persons would suffer exhaustion, thereby putting in place plans to forestall it.

“We carry out pre-assessment studies on hospital holdings, putting into consideration that some of the beneficiaries could be hypertensive,” Farinloye said.

He said during the distribution proper, bulk SMS and printed tickets were sent to beneficiaries, to ensure that they were attended to in an orderly manner.

Farinloye said the palliatives or materials to be distributed had also been tagged to correspond with the tickets of the beneficiaries.

News

Workers Day: FG declares Wednesday public holiday

Published

14 seconds ago

April 30, 2024

NewsDirect

The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, May 1, public holiday in commemoration of the 2024 Workers’ Day Celebration.

This is contained in a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Aishetu Ndayako, issued on Tuesday in Abuja.

She stated that the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government.

Tunji-Ojo reiterated the need for excellence, efficiency and equity in all spheres of labour, re-affirming President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to foster a culture of innovation, productivity and inclusivity in the workplace.

Tunji-Ojo said, “In alignment with this year’s theme, which focuses on ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate, I wish to state that the Federal Government remained steadfast in its resolve to prioritise the safety and well-being of all citizens.

“Let me reaffirm the President’s commitment to provide a conducive environment for work, where every worker can thrive and contribute meaningfully to national development.”

While acknowledging the contribution of workers, he called for proactive measures to mitigate adverse effects of climate change through synergy in the implementation of sustainable practices.

He also acknowledged policies that promote well-being in the workplace and in building a nation guided by the principles of integrity, diligence and compassion.

The Minister also urged Nigerians to remain committed to the present administration’s Renewed “Hope Agenda” and wished workers a happy celebration.

News

Senators jostle over seats in newly renovated chamber

Published

2 hours ago

April 30, 2024

NewsDirect

A rowdy session marred the resumption of the Senate to plenary on Tuesday as senators fought over the seats.

The plenary had started around 11 am and immediately after the procession, the Senate President, GodsWill Akpabio, read out announcements, specifically the names of the lawmakers who had celebrated their birthdays while the Senate was on break.

It was while the announcement was ongoing that Senator Sahabi Yau (APC, Zamfara North) started to raise his voice at the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) while he in return pointed his finger at Yau as if giving him a stern warning.

Immediately, Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) joined his colleague Yau in shouting at Bamidele and the chairman, of Senate Services, Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) who was in charge of the seating arrangements.

The fight was triggered by the seating arrangement in the newly renovated hallow chamber.

Some ranking Senators were said to have been angry at the seats allocated to them in the front row on the last right side of the aisle.

The Senate President eventually told them to approach the chair one after the other but Yau didn’t oblige him.

News

Electricity tariff hike: You failed Nigerians, Falana blasts Power Minister

Published

2 hours ago

April 30, 2024

NewsDirect

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has passed a vote of ‘no confidence’ on the Federal Government, saying that the minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has failed Nigerians.

Falana was reacting to Adelabu’s appearance before the Senate on Monday to defend the increase in the electricity tariff and what Nigerians would pay.

He also stated that the move was a policy imposed on the Nigerian government by the International Monetary Funds and the World Bank.

Speaking on the Channels TV show on Monday night, Falana said, “The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu has failed to address the question of the illegality of the tariffs.

“Section 116 of the Electricity Act 2023 provides that before an increase can be approved and announced, there has to be a public hearing conducted based on the request of the DISCOS to have an increase in the electricity tariffs. That was not done.

“Secondly, neither the minister nor the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission has explained why the impunity that characterized the increase can be allowed.”

Falana also expressed worry over what he described as impunity on the part of the federal government and electricity regulatory commission.

Falana alleged that the Nigerian government is heeding an instruction given to her by the Bretton Wood institutions.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria accused Western countries led by the United States of America of double standards.

According to him, they subsidize agriculture, energy, and fuel and offer grants and loans to indigent students while they advise the Nigerian government against doing the same for its citizens.

Following the outrage that greeted the announcement of the tariff increase, Adelabu explained that the action would not affect everyone using electricity as only Band A customers who get about 20 hours of electricity are affected by the hike.

Falana, however, insisted that neither the minister nor the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, had justified the tariff increase.

The senior lawyer said that Nigerian law gives no room for discrimination against customers by grading them in different bands.

He insisted that the government cannot ask Nigerians to pay differently for the same product even when what has been consistently served to them is darkness.