Oyo State Flags Off N8.63 Billion Palliative Today

Oyo State is set to flag off the distribution of palliatives to over 200,000 households across the state.

The distribution to other geo-political zones will follow subsequently from Thursday.

The state commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Dotun Oyelade, disclosed that the state has earmarked N8.63 billion.

He said the local government areas contributed N2.63 billion while the state government put in N5.99 billion.

It was gathered that some of the items to be distributed include 10kg rice, 5 kg of garri, 5kg beans, 5kg elubo, and 1 ltr of vegetable oil.

Oyelade said the palliative is meant to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy following its removal, and the distribution will be done in different batches.

He noted, “If you assume that every family has about 6 members, we are talking about over 1 million people to be affected by the initial rollout of palliative.”

Throwing more light on the exercise, the state Commissioner for Budget, Professor Musbau Babatunde, said the government earmarked N149.1 million for the Transportation sub-committee.

Giving a further breakdown, the commissioner said that the budget includes logistics, branding of buses, personnel, and diesel costs.

Babatunde added that 100,000 vulnerable members of the society would also be catered for by the state government while noting that personnel of security outfits, including Amotekun, Nigerian Army, Police force, and Civil defence, who are the first line of defence in the State, will benefit from the palliatives.

Civil servants within the low rung of civil service will also benefit from the gesture.

The Commissioner said N1 billion has been set aside to cater for the health Insurance of 50,000 pensioners, at N4,000 each, and N1.701 million earmarked as loans to be rolled out to SMEs will cost N510 million.