KWSG distributes bags of maize, sorghum to vulnerable groups
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
Kwara State Government has distributed another 50kg bags of maize, sorghum and millet as palliatives to 17,578 vulnerable people in the state.
The palliatives were part of the ones received from the Federal Government by the State Government to further support vulnerable citizens amid the inconveniences from fuel subsidy removal.
The food items are already being distributed across the 16 local governments.
According to the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Development, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, the palliative distribution was guided by the template the state received from the Federal Government.
“The instructions given by the federal government is that there has to be a committee in each local government area that will oversee the items. The committee comprises the DPMs (Directors of Personal Management) in the absence of the chairmen of local government areas; traditional rulers; representatives of the DSS; ICPC; civil society organizations; National Youth Council of Nigeria; women groups; development officers; and so on and so forth. These are the people that will take care of it in each local government area,” he said
He added that the distribution was directly being handled by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
“So, what we are doing is just to ensure that it gets to the local government area. By the time it gets there, they will now identify the vulnerable ones among them.”
On his part, the Secretary of SEMA, Mallam Saadu Mashood Magaji, confirmed that the office recently took delivery of the items, adding that the agency has started sharing them since last Saturday based on the template they got from Abuja.
“These palliatives are for distribution to vulnerable people across the state. It is a federal government intervention in collaboration with NEMA and the office of the National Security Adviser. It was around two months ago that we received them through the federal government.
“We have millet, sorghum, and maize. Millet is 2,216, maize is 7,042, while sorghum is 8,320 bags, which makes a total number of 17,578 50kg of the three items. They are shared across the sixteen local governments.
“We started the distribution for 6 LGs on 1st June, 2024, such as Baruten, Kaiama, Asa, Ilorin East, Ifelodun, Oke-Ero. On the 2nd of June, we gave out to Patigi, Edu, Oyun, Offa, Ilorin South and Moro. While the third part of it includes Irepodun, Ilorin West, Isin and Ekiti local governments respectively”, he added.
