The Gombe State Government has commenced the distribution of palliatives to poor and vulnerable persons in the state.
The exercise which kicks off on Saturday in the Dukku Local Government Area of the state is targeting no fewer than 50,000 households.
Items distributed included rice, sugar, maize, salt, macaroni, spaghetti, and noodles.
In his remarks, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya stated that his administration was committed to supporting the poor and vulnerable persons in the state.
He stressed that in 2020, his administration supported a total of 66,000 households, which according to him, translated to 600,000 beneficiaries.
“The State Government was targeting no fewer than 50,000 households this year.
“The initiative to distribute the palliatives was as a result of the floods witnessed in some areas of the state the previous year, as well as the emergence of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“The poor and vulnerable were the most hit, whenever there were crises, flooding, and even the pandemic, hence government’s intervention to ensure that they were supported as a way of bringing them relief”, Yahaya said.
The governor assured that his administration would continue to support the poor and vulnerable, adding that the State Government had spent over N771 million to support flood victims in Nafada, Dukku, Funakaye, and Yamaltu-Deba LGAs.
Yahaya warned against any attempt to divert the items, directing that the items be only given to the targeted vulnerable persons in line with the intent of the palliatives.
Earlier, the Deputy Governor, Mr. Mannassah Jatau, explained that the distribution of the items would be done with equity and fairness.
”The same items here will be the same to be distributed in other wards across the state,” he said.
According to him, 2,998 households are to benefit in 10 LGAs for a start.
On his part, the Emir of Dukku, Alhaji Haruna, Rashid II, commended the governor for supporting the poor and vulnerable in his emirate, adding that the items would help in alleviating the sufferings of the people.
One of the beneficiaries, Malam Bappah Aisami, told newsmen that the items would help him support his household, noting that it came at a time the Ramadan fast was about to begin.
”We pray Allah to bless the government for giving us food. I am grateful and happy because the items will help me a lot,” he said.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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