Posted by To mitigate the negative effects of subsidy removal on the populace, the Benue State Government has announced preparations for the distribution of the N5 billion provided by the Federal Government.
Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, the state governor, stated this at the flag-off for the distribution of aid supplies to Makurdi flood victims in 2022.
According to him, the state government has already received N2 billion of the funds allotted to the state, and it is anticipating the arrival of the subsequent round of palliatives to lessen the consequences of the subsidy removal.
He declared that the state government will utilize the money to sign up secondary school students attending public institutions for the 2023–2024 academic year’s WAEC and NECO exams.
In order to help 2000 young people in the state find employment both inside and outside the state, Alia stated that the budget would be used to provide rigorous computer and ICT training.
He also revealed that 5,000 women in the state will receive grants as part of the planned intervention, which will be based on the updated social registry of the women cooperatives.
He stated that he will utilize the palliatives to buy 100 new buses for the state-owned transportation business, Benue Links, in order to continue providing services to the residents of the state at a reduced cost due to the hardship passengers are experiencing in the state as a result of the elimination of subsidies.
In a same vein, he stated that the palliatives will be used to fund shuttle buses in Makurdi, Gboko, and Otukpo—the three largest towns—to facilitate travel inside the towns.
He continued by saying that the funds would also be utilized to reimburse state and local government retirees’ unpaid pension arrears of one month.
He claimed that among other things, the 23 local government areas in the state will receive substantial quantities of food, such as rice, from the palliatives.
He also expressed the hope that the remaining sum of money would be quickly transferred to state government coffers and urged the populace to exercise patience as the administration soon would begin carrying out the aforementioned preparations to mitigate the consequences of subsidy removal.
Remember that on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu announced the cessation of the fuel subsidy.