By John Odunjo
Ekiti State Government has begun payment of N5,000 monthly as palliatives to 10,000 economically vulnerable citizens of the state.
Each of the beneficiaries will receive the N5,000 on monthly basis for six months.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji says the gesture is part of the palliatives plans of his administration to cushion the effect of the current economic situation on indigent citizens.
Governor Oyebanji was represented at the flagging off of the presentation of cheques to beneficiaries on Tuesday at the Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning and Performance Management, Mr Niyi Adebayo.
Oyebanji, who said that the initiative, which had started for over two months now, would last for five months for 10,000 indigenes of the sttate, said the gesture was part of the state government’s alleviation programme, aimed at ensuring that the less privileged in society feel the presence of government in times of hardship.
He explained that the palliative scheme was occasioned by the Federal Government’s removal of subsidy on petroleum products in May this year, leading to increase in the prices of food stuffs and other commodities.
He said, “Having realized the attendant suffering of the low-income earners, Ekiti State Government decided to intervene by giving these categories of people the succour to ameliorate their suffering.
Accordingly, some of the on-going palliative programmes of the state government included distribution of food items, provision of free transport system to support civil/public servants and students, payment of consequential salary adjustment to senior civil/public servants and payment of 2017 leave bonus arrears to workers, food bank for elders, among others.
Mr Adebayo stressed that the 10,000 beneficiaries were selected from the 18,000 Indigent members of the state captured in the Social Register in collaboration with the Federal Government.
He explained further that the compilation of the Social Register was devoid of political, religious or ethnic colouration adding that their selection was transparent and it cut across all the 16 Local Government and 22 Local Council Development Areas which was subject to periodic reviews to accommodate more indigent members of the society.
One of the beneficiaries, Akinola Tolulope, praised Governor Oyebanji for his Shared Prosperity Agenda for the people of the state and promised that the beneficiaries would make judicious use of the fund.
