FG vows to cushion effects of lockdown on states
The Federal Government, on Friday, said it will continue to support states in the welfare of the vulnerable in the society.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouk, stated this during a visit to Ogun State, adding that the government has also concluded plans to distribute five trucks of relief items containing 3, 000 bags of rice weighing 50 kilogrammes each with one other truck of vegetable oil as part of its immediate intervention to cushion the effects of COVID-19 to the poor and vulnerable residents of the state.
This is in addition to quite number of other trucks containing over 100 tonnes of maize, sorghum and gari meant to be distributed to the people in the state in compliance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive on ameliorating the sufferings of the people of the state during the lockdown period.
Farouk, who was in Ogun State on Friday to deliver some palliative to the state government to cushion the effect of the lockdown, said the Federal Government will work with the state government to assist the vulnerable during this crisis.
Her words: “I am here as a special representative of President Muhammadu Buhari to bring goodwill message, message of solidarity to the government and good people of Ogun State based on COVID-19 pandemic.
“To discuss with the governor, how we are going to work on the safety net for the vulnerable people in the country, especially in Ogun State.
“And lastly, I have come with some relief items for the government of Ogun State to support what they are doing as palliative to the vulnerable and poor people.
“I have also come to ascertain the progress so far for the enrolment on the registration for beneficiaries under the Conditional Cash Transfer. These are issues that brought me to Ogun state”.
Speaking on the conditional cash transfer documents that are going viral on social media, the minister said: “Definitely, such documents are not coming from my office.
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“The President has pronounced the lockdown of three affected areas; two states and FCT and all the palliative measures were taken to cushion the effects of this COVID-19 which Ogun State is included.
“I am not aware of such documents. I can assure you that the Federal Government is doing everything possible to see that it supports the state government in delivering these palliatives to the vulnerable and poor citizens.
“What we have on ground so far, note that there is a Presidential Taskforce of which the ministry is part of. And in that taskforce, we have committees such as Transport and Logistics with one of the agencies under the ministry (Security).
“And these committees are working with other relevant agencies to distribute food reliefs that was also approved by Mr. President from the general grain reserves.
“My team from the ministry is already in the state and we are going to work with Ogun State government to handle this issues.
“They are coming in quite number of trucks to say in precisely, they are over 100 tonnes of maize, sorghum and gari. What I have brought with me now is another food item rice and that is coming in five trucks of 50kg of rice and one truck of vegetable oil that we have brought to the government of Ogun State.
