AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, the Governor of Kwara State, has expressed his sincere gratitude and recognition for receiving the Relief Funds as pledged by the Federal Government.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Governor revealed this via his official X handle on Friday.
These funds are intended to alleviate the impact of the removal of Fuel Subsidy on the Nigerian populations
AbdulRahman stated that Kwara State had received N2bn out of the N4bn relief funds that was released to states for the purchase of rice by the Federal Government
AbdulRahman noted that the state awaited “the balance of N2bn of the funds as well as N1bn worth of maize (40,000 bags) which the Central Bank of Nigeria is selling to each state from the national strategic reserve.”
The Governor however noted that 48% (N1,920,000,000.00) of the N4bn is a noninterest loan that will be paid back over a period of 20 months at N120,000,000.00 monthly.
Furthermore, he mentioned that he had authorized the acquisition of rice in the value of the amount. To ensure openness and equity, a committee led by Kwara State Police Commissioner Ebun Oluwarotimi Adelesi, along with support from Emir of Shonga Dr. Haliru Yahya, religious figures, civil society leaders, and other significant stakeholders in the state, will exclusively supervise the distribution of the relief packages.
AbdulRahman further commended President Tinubu’s efforts in bringing ease to the people and urged other authorities charged with the responsibility of distributing the palliatives to do so in fairness and equity.
The statement reads in part:
“We also confirm receipt of the remaining three trucks of the bags of rice donated to our state by the Federal Government. The distribution has commenced through various channels of reaching out to the public, including lawmakers who represent the 24 state constituencies and other stakeholders in the state.
“I urge those we have saddled with the responsibility of distributing these palliatives to do so in the spirit of fairness to all, particularly to the most vulnerable persons, because it is simply impractical for everyone to get at the same time.
“Similarly, I appeal to members of the public to remain patient and calm as multi-layered steps are being taken in phases, including huge interventions to support massive food production, local production of gas-powered vehicles, support for small and medium scale enterprises, manufacturing and other businesses, to boost the economy and ease the difficulties arising from the removal of fuel subsidy.
“I commend His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the several initiatives of the Federal Government to bring ease to the people. I reassure all Kwarans of our commitments to their welfare at this time and always.”
