FG’s Palliatives, State Governors and Nigerians Expectations.
By AbdurRaheem Sa’ad Dembo
The announcement of five billion naira to states as palliatives by the federal government was trailed by mixed reactions, even though part of it is a loan repayable by the states.
Some held that the money or the food palliatives would not get to the vulnerables in our society, while others believed that it would still have great impact on poor Nigerians if it is shared to the poorest households.
The argument that the palliatives would not get to the right quarters was informed by the public experience about COVID-19 where some Governors allegedly hoarded the food items meant to be shared to poor Nigerians.
The current reality is, whether you work with the government or not, at this point everyone needs palliative. This is because the effects of subsidy removal is bitting hard. Right now the atmosphere is not smiling to anyone.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has assured Nigerians that there would be light at the end of the tunnel. President Tinubu’s recent broadcast brought so much hope for the masses.
He said if he had options he wouldn’t have removed subsidy, apparently indicating that the only choice he had was to remove it. Our President should understand that Nigerians are not finding it easy at the moment, though he admitted his awareness of the scale of our suffering.
In my sojourn away from home, I went to buy Pap (Koko) and kosai recently and I overheard some people arguing among themselves on the skyrocketing inflation, particularly over when the prices of goods would bearably come down.
I couldn’t say a word, initially, but I took my time to listen to them. At a point I had to contribute and convince them that the subsidy removal was done for the good of the country. I also made them to realize that the president meant well for the country.
One of them furiously interrupted me by saying that when would things getter, is it until all of us died? I kept mute for a while, but urged them shortly after to be praying for the government and progress of the country. This is a typical instance of what the atmosphere holds among average Nigerians on the streets.
To our dearest state Governors, there is no doubt about the fact that there is deficit of trust with governance in Nigeria, hence Nigerians don’t trust some of them concerning the sharing of the palliatives.
The way out is for the Governors to ensure transparency in whatever method they are adopting. The Governor of Borno state, Babagana Zulum is doing it in a transparent way; he personally oversees the distribution of food items to his people in Borno State and that has earned him the public trust and confidence.
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Although not all Governors can thread the similar path, it can be delegated by having men and women of proven integrity in the committee that would share it.
For example, the Kwara state Governor, and the Chairman of Nigeria Governor’s Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has formed a committee which comprises clerics, traditional leaders and the DSS. This is to ensure even distribution of the rice palliative. During the inauguration of the committee recently in Ilorin, here is what his Excellency said:
“Our gathering this afternoon is to enable me to formally inaugurate members of this important committee on food palliatives.
As you are aware, our administration has rolled out multiple initiatives to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal. Quite a number of other interventions have alsobeen introduced by the Federal Government in this regard.
It is important to clarify that food palliatives are only a stopgap measure to show empathy and reach out to the people, especially the most vulnerable ones among us. It is not the only step the government has taken since the removal of fuel subsidy. Government is committing huge resources to hasten mass production and use of gas-powered vehicles nationwide as well boost agricultural productivity, manufacturing, and small and medium scale enterprises. We are in this together, and I plead that we work together as one people bounded by one destiny to get over this current challenge.
Madame chairman, Your Royal Highness, and distinguished senior citizens, we have set up this committee to make the process of distributing the palliatives as nonpartisan, transparent, participatory and credible as humanly possible. We trust your judgment and commitment to make the palliatives to reach the nearest and farthest corners of our state.”
Our Governors can share the rice but they should not share money.The reason is simple, it would be easy for those in charge of the money to steal part of it. But if the state government can channel the money to education and health every home would feel the impacts. For instance, the Benue state Governor while sharing palliatives assured the good people of Benue state that he would pay registration fees for NECO and WAEC. This is a good initiative and if health is also thus subsidized, many will equally benefit because the pressure to pay for hospital bills would be significantly reduced.
In Ekiti state the sharing formula of the palliatives has been criticized by the opposition on the ground of politicisation of the process. Although the State government has refuted the allegation, it speaks volume on the need for the state governments to ensure that they are transparent from the beginning to the end.
On a concluding note, the expectations of Nigerians are very high regarding the palliatives and other measures to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal; hence, the Federal and state governments are enjoined to timely do all they can to ensure that the citizenry do not suffer in vain. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine.
