Akwa Ibom to introduce food subsidy for poor residents

The Government of Akwa Ibom may introduce food vouchers to enable residents to benefit from its food subsidy initiative, Governor Umo Eno has said.

The Governor stated this while outlining the modalities for the implementation of the State Government’s food subsidy initiative. Eno, who was addressing a gathering at the All Nations Christian Ministry International, explained that the Social Register will serve as a document for the implementation of the bulk purchase intervention programme. 

“One of the things we believe we can do is to use the social register. So if you don’t have your name in the social register in your place, please go and do it.

The Governor said, registered vendors will set up redemption centres, while the government will issue targeted citizens with food vouchers, which will allow for discounted purchases and to redeem its worth at the approved redemption centres.

“What we may likely introduce, is a food voucher, and we are going to have redemption centres all across this State, all across the market. So when you get the food voucher, you now take it to the redemption centres where you will get the foodstuff. Those managing the centres will bring the vouchers back to us and then get their balance with some logistics and profit,” the Governor explained. 

Governor Eno said that the State will ensure that the efforts at ameliorating the harsh economic realities are not thwarted by middlemen, assuring everyone, that the activities of middlemen will be checked to enable the poorest of the poor, who, according to him, are prime targets of the initiative, to benefit maximally from the programme.

According to him, “We want this thing to get to the real people. If this thing is not properly managed, the people would buy it, hoard and resell it at a higher price again to the masses. We know that as we are planning, some people are also planning how they will make money out of it. So that is the problem and reason why many government programmes don’t succeed sometimes.

The Governor therefore warned mischief makers, to desist from attempting to thwart the government’s good intention to stabilize the cost of staple food in the state, saying that, anyone caught, would face the full weight of the law.

“For those thinking of forging vouchers, we are doing security printing, to keep out fake vouchers. For those working to sabotage the process, we will pick them up and hand them over to the police. Every shop will have a way of verifying the vouchers, so don’t think about it” he warned.

He however stressed that whatever intervention measures the government is taking in terms of food subsidy, is for a short term, and called on all citizens to return to the farm and join the State Government’s campaign to boost agriculture and food sufficiency.

The Governor who is highly celebrated for his managerial ability, assured that the Ministry of Agriculture will make farm inputs available for cultivation and will be ready to offtake from farmers that will be willing to sell their surplus harvest.

In a demonstration of empathy for the people given current economic realities, Governor Umo Eno stated that anyone willing to identify with him on his birthday coming up in April, should convert their intended gift items to staple food and share the same with the less privileged on his behalf.