Delta State Government says it has worked out modalities for the distribution of palliatives meant to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal by the APC-led federal government.
The State Sterling Committee on the Palliative Programme headed by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Dr Kingsley Emu, who disclosed this at a press conference in Asaba, said distribution of the palliatives will be through the DSIEC wards structure in the state.
The Chairman of the Sterling Committee, Dr Kingsley Emu flanked by some members of the Committee, said the DSIEC wards are made up of five hundred distribution points as each of the 25 Local Government areas has 20 wards.
According to the SSG, the palliative items include bags of 50kg of Rice, bags of Maize and bags of Fertilizers, noting that the programme is being facilitated by the Federal Government which extends loans to state governments for the items, payable within twenty months.
Dr Emu explained that of the 17, 400 bags of Rice meant for Delta state, 13,800 bags have been received, expressing the hope that the remaining number as well as the bags of maize and fertilizers will be delivered to the state.
He said modalities for the distribution of the items were reached after extensive deliberation on the matter by the committee and had ensured that the vulnerable population, in every nook and cranny of the state, were reached.
Dr Emu disclosed the setting up of sub-committees for each ward and Local Government Area for effective distribution exercise and that all House of Assembly members and Commissioners will also monitor the activities in their respective domains.
According to the SSG, the agreed formula for distribution of the palliatives include ward level, 40%, Poor and Vulnerable Households, 20%, Direct Intervention by the State Government to highly impacted groups, 20%, Reserve to Shore-Up Urban Wards, 10%, and Contingency Reserve, 5%.
He restated the resolve of the committee to ensure a seamless distribution process and ensure that those seriously in need of the palliatives were reached in the exercise, which has nothing to do with politics.
Dr Emu named members of the STATE SUBSIDY PALLIATIVE COMMITTEE to include the SSG as Chairman, Commissioner for Humanitarian Services, Senior Policy Adviser, Special Adviser, Transport, Special Adviser Community Development, State Director of Protocol and Principal Secretary to the Governor as members.
Other members include the State Head of Service, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, representatives of the NLC, TUC as well as representatives of monitoring and charity organizations.
