The N5 billion intervention palliative by the government of Ogun State, meant to cushion the impact of the current economic challenges in the country is having direct impacts on the people of the Gateway State.
Special Advisers to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media and Information, Hon Kayode Akinmade, made this known on Monday, while speaking on an OGTV Current Affairs Program, ‘The RoundTable.’
Akinmade said that through targeted interventions, the government aims at address the current economic challenges by implementing series of phased initiatives aimed at alleviating these burdens.
Recall that Governor Abiodun recently announced N5 billion intervention funds to cushion the effect of the rising cost of living and inflation in the state.
The grant, according to him, is planned to be shared as palliatives to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.
Speaking at a press conference in Abeokuta, the state capital, Prince Abiodun said his administration acknowledges the current hardship in the country, occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal and the concerns raised in different quarters regarding the rising prices and shortages of food, coupled with the depreciation of the Naira.
Expressing sense of emotions, Governor Abiodun noted that proactive measures to alleviate the impact of the challenges to guarantee the welfare, well-being and wellness of the residents of the state in this difficult time will be implemented
Akinmade said, “Ogun State is the first state to implement the Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, bus initiative, to take care of transportation challenges. The buses are currently positioned in strategic routes in the state, where people are meant to pay a token to cover a reasonable distance.
“Governor Abiodun has initiated policies with direct impacts on the people. Evidence is the ongoing Educash programme that is planned to provide a one-off N10,000 education support grant for 100,000 pupils and students of public primary and secondary schools. The ongoing exercise is done in a transparent manner such that the beneficiaries have been full of appreciation of the gesture coming from the state government.”
Hon. Akinmade averred that 50,000 students of Ogun State origin in tertiary institutions across the country have been captured as part of planned disbursements of N50,000 grant to each of them.
The SA added that the Prince Abiodun’s administration is also providing health insurance cover for over 70,000 beneficiaries, including: pregnant women, children, the elderly, market women, and other members of the informal sector.
He enthused, “Pregnant women, under the ‘Ibidero’ Scheme, would also be provided free pre-natal care, an additional N5,000 per birth and free post-natal care in the state hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centres, PHCs.”
Akinmade noted that provision would be made for food palliatives to include rice and other items for about 300,000 households across the state.
He added, “The state government has started offsetting the backlog of inherited deductions. To this end, the government has immediately committed N500 million monthly payments towards outstanding deductions.
“It is noteworthy that we have continued to pay N10,000 transport allowance to all civil servants in the state in the last eight months.”
