By Inusa Salihu, Maiduguri
The governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, on Tuesday, announced that he was increasing the number of households targeted for palliatives from 300,000 to 400,000 households.
Each household will be made up of six family members to be multiplied by 400,000 which, by implication, moves Zulum’s new target to two million and four hundred thousand – 2.4 million individuals.
Governor Zulum had, on August 1, 2023, while launching a new phase of palliatives’ distribution, announced a target of 300,000 households each, with six persons which will multiply to one million eight – hundred thousand 1.8 million individuals.
At the time Zulum announced the target, the Presidency had not announced its intervention of N5 billion to each of the states.
With the recent announcement of N5 billi9n intervention to states, Governor Zulum on said that he was increasing his initial target by additional 100,000 households which will multiply to 600,000 individuals.
He said, “Today we are here to distribute palliative to 100,000 vulnerable households under the Presidential Initiative; this is in addition to the 300,000 households Borno State government had rolled out early this month,” while speaking with journalists at former Bakasi IDPs camp, venue of the distribution exercise.
He added, “You may recall that the Federal Government has announced N5 billion to all states and with that amount we intend to reach an additional 100,000 vulnerable families.”
The governor further explained that the oresidential initiative is a collaboration between the Federal Goveenment, states and local governments.
The Federal Government, he noted, is granting 52 percent of the total amount while the state and local governments will refund 48 per cent of the amount.
Since July, Zulum accelerated palliatives to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices on the lives of citizens.
The palliatives have been so far distributed at Gwoza, Kukawa, Jere and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council to thousands of families benefiting. The state’s deputy governor, Umar Usman Kadafur, on Monday, flagged off a similar distribution in Biu town.
Meanwhile, Governor Zulum has once again expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his timely support to state governments.
Zulum noted that Nigerians in the long term will benefit from President Tinubu’s policies and programmes.
He said the fuel subsidy removal despite the short-term difficulties is seen as a stepping stone towards broader economic reforms aimed at promoting sustainable development in Nigeria.
