By Veronica Dariya
Some residents of Bwari Area Council of the FCT have lauded the efforts of the Federal Government in providing food palliatives to the poor and vulnerable households in the area.
The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja, however, urged government to provide more incentives to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.
Mr Habibu Adbdulrahman, a resident and trader in Guto community of the council, said that the effort by government to provide food first was thoughtful and considerate.
He added that several families could no longer have three-square meals a day, while most could hardly even feed at all.
He, therefore, appealed to government to look inward and find lasting solutions to means of transportation and cost of food, which he noted was also vital and paramount in economic development.
More so, Mrs Joy Shammah, another resident and teacher in the community, appreciated the Federal Government’s initiative, while also calling on the council administration to ensure transparent process of distribution.
Shammah said that it was a step in the right direction to provide food to the needy at a critical period such as the country was experiencing at the moment.
“People are hungry; no one has money for anything else now except food; so I believe it would go a long way to meet the immediate need of the target groups and they will be happy.
“However, this is just temporary; I will like to see that government initiate something tangible that will ease the suffering of the people in the long term.
“This could be in the form of working with commercial vehicle owners and other transporters to find lasting solutions to the cost of transportation. It is very important because that alone is taking away people’s income.
“If that can be reduced, other cost of living like food stuff and other services too will reduce and ease the pain and sufferings of Nigerians,” she said.
NAN recalls that the Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, recently commenced the distribution of Federal Government’s palliative initiative among the poor and vulnerable groups in the FCT’s six area councils.
The distribution was earmarked to cushion the hardship experienced by the very poor and vulnerable households in the country, including the FCT, occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.
Wike, who was represented by Mr Aminu Masari, Mandate Secretary of the FCTA Social Development Secretariat, at the Bwari distribution centre, reiterated Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the plight of the poor.
He emphasised that the removal of petroleum subsidy had the greatest impact on the poor and vulnerable members of the society, hence the need to prioritise their concerns.
The minister said that 640 bags of 50kg rice and 1000 bags of 50kg maize were located to Bwari for distribution to the said groups, as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Also speaking, Mr John Gabaya, Chairman of Bwari Area Council, while appreciating the Federal Government, appealed that more food items be allocated to the district due to its large population of the poor.
Gabaya, however, assured that the food items would reach the targeted groups in the nine wards of the council.
He also appealed to residents to be patient and allow the present administration do its best in its quest to reposition and stabilise the economy of the country for the betterment of all citizens. (NAN)
