By Fatima Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that the Niger state governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago has threatened to jail anyone found wanting of sabotaging the distribution of palliative in the state.
The governor stated this on Friday while briefing journalists on the decision of the state government to commence the distribution to residents.
“Any form of diversion, we will use this as an example, we will jail people. We have already obtained a summon from the court ahead of deviance,” he said.
Bago also announced a three-day public holiday, commencing from Wednesday 6th September to Friday 8th September for the distribution of palliative.
He directed all civil servants and political appointees to go back to their wards to oversee the distribution alongside other members of the standing committee in every local government area.
The governor said that the state government has received N2 billion as well as five trucks of rice from the federal government.
“We are expecting 40,000 bags of maize and an additional N2 billion.
“Niger state will cover for the additional N2 billion while we wait for the federal government.”
On the long-term plans of the government to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy, the governor said that the state’s ministry for local government has been directed to allocate 10,000 hectares of arable land across each of the 25 local government areas of the state.
“By December 2023, we should be able to showcase 250,000 hectares of cleared, leveled, cultivated land as a pilot.
“We will procure machinery while also employing 500,000 youths and 400,000 women as shea nut pickers. This is in tandem with Mr. President’s agenda on agriculture,” the governor said.
“We are taking the additional initiative to provide 200 luxurious buses running on CNG, free transportation for all public and private transport for pupils in Niger state.
“We are also planning to introduce bursaries for students in tertiary institutions across the state,” he added.
