Borno State Governor Acknowledges Receipt Of 5bn Palliative Fund

The Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has disclosed the receipt of Five billion Naira grand from the Nigerian Government.

The fund is for palliatives to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal.

The Governor made this known at a brief interview where distribution of palliatives is ongoing in the State.

Governor Zulum said; “the Nigerian government recently announced the provision of 5bn Naira to each State for the distribution of palliatives to 100, 000 people, this programme is in collaboration with Nigerian Government, state and local governments. The Nigerian government has provide 52% funding as grants to 36 states of the federation while 48% of the funding has to be paid back to the Nigerian government by the state and local governments.

“One hundred thousand people will benefit with 1bag of rice each and the State will provide 10kg of beans to the same number of people from the Nigerian government intervention fund.”

Last month the Borno State Government had flag off palliative distribution exercise targeting 300,000 beneficiaries starting from Gwoza LGA, Kukaka LGA, and Maiduguri Metropolitan and Jere Local Government simultaneously.

The Governor noted that the distribution exercise would last throughout his remaining tenure of 4 years in office.

He said Maiduguri Metropolitan is the largest Local government in Borno with a population of about 4 million people, which is unsustainable to any government.

He further stated that his cardinal objectives as the Governor of Borno State is to provide security in the state as well as to carter for the vulnerable.

“It is my desire to provide palliatives to the less privileged in the State, but almost everyone is vulnerable in Borno due to our peculiar security challenge.

“Our intention is to provide food and none food items to the people that are severely affected by the insurgency especially those in Baga-kukawa LGA, Ngala LGA, and Gajiram LGA.

“Likewise some LGAs that don’t have access to their farm lands are, Ngala, Dikwa, Marte, Mafa, Bama, Gwoza and Damboa among others,” Governor Zulum said.

He said, the above listed LGAs would all benefit individually because of their severe experience of the insurgency.

Mercy Chukwudiebere