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“THIS relief is highly appreciated and the fact that we were listed as targetted beneficiaries has given us a sense of belonging,” he said.
On his part, the NLC chairman in the state, Greg Olayi, commended the state government for ensuring that civil servants were captured in the distribution of the palliatives.
“When we met SEMA to inspect the palliatives, we discovered that NLC and TUC were not captured on the list from National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), unlike NULGE.
“But I want to thank the Director-General of SEMA for his proactive disposition.
“He was able to get additional grains from the state government with a view to ensuring that other critical stakeholders were captured in the relief incentives.
“Appreciation also must be given to Gov. Bassey Otu for facilitating the procurement of additional grains.
“We got about 2,020 bags of rice, beans and garri, all in 10kg sizes. We intend to share them across MDAs to enable each of over 12,000 workforce get a share,” he stated.
On the progress of distribution, the SEMA director-general, James Anam, said to ensure a hitch-free distribution, the agency had to develop a template so that the palliatives could get to the targetted beneficiaries, as enumerated by NEMA.
“We also have a register where representatives of the various groups must sign against the items collected, to promote accountability and transparency.
“We are hugely grateful to the state government for funding the procurement of additional grains to augment the consignment we received from the Federal Government.
“This has enabled us to extend the relief package to most of our people, cutting across groups and individuals, especially the less-privileged.
“We know it’s not enough, but at least, it will cushion the present situation on ground, while government strives to address the root causes of the prevailing economic challenges confronting the country,” he said.
NAN reports that the groups that had taken delivery of their palliatives included: PWDs, women associations, orphanage homes, traditional institutions as well as local government workers and their administrators.
Other were: organised labour, state pensioners, security outfits, students’ unions, youth groups, Red Cross Society, inter-party affairs council, faith-based organisations and political support groups. (NAN)
23rd July, 2024.
C.E.
Tags: Greg Olayi NEMA NLC NULGE TUC
