Let me begin by recognizing His Excellency’s magnanimity in towing the path of his predecessors and releasing the sum of Seven Hundred and Ninety Seven Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N797.9m) for the Ramadan Feeding Program which is highly commendable. This is true, a colossal amount, which should be used judiciously, hoping that, similar supervision and monitoring mechanisms would be extended to the Local Government Ramadan Feeding Centers across the state to ensure transparency, accountability, and judicious use as exemplified in the Sokoto Ramadan Feeding Centres by the governor, His Excellency, Dr. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto.
By Nasiru Yahaya Isa
However, beyond the feeding of the needy persons during the Ramadan period, what other measures will His Excellency put in place to ensure that the needy and the vulnerable population can afford to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a day?
There is no doubt that the payment of half of the salaries and pensions to all the staff of state, LGAs, and LGEAs has brought succour in this period of Ramadan to the families of these workers and pensioners in the payroll of Sokoto State Government. The governor has indeed received accolades and profound appreciation for putting smiles on the faces of the Sokoto State employees and pensioners.
His Excellency should however note that there is more to his effort than meets the eye. Daily, the Sokoto metropolitan areas witness flocks of impoverished minors, widows, and the aged who have been displaced and forced to migrate to urban cities due to insecurity. These homeless individuals otherwise referred to as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are hopelessly roaming the streets of Sokoto city, many of whom are walking barefooted in this scorching sun and are seen sometimes, scavenging on heaps of refuse dumps as they struggle for survival.
His Excellency is also quite aware that, it is the insecurity as a result of banditry in the Sokoto Eastern Senatorial Zone that led to the displacement of numerous rural populace thereby depriving them access to their farms and other forms of economic activities and resulting in food shortages which has further pushed them into the valley of abject poverty.
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I strongly believe that His Excellency is also not unaware of so much hue and cry from Sakkwatawa given the economic hardships being faced in the state. The unmitigated suffering being witnessed under the current political dispensation as a result of the removal of fuel subsidies and devaluation of the Naira against the United States Dollar was never bargained for by the masses. The high cost of living has significantly burdened the ordinary citizens in the state.
Beyond the Ramadan feeding, there is an urgent need for His Excellency to institute measures that will improve the economic status and ensure stable food on the tables of ordinary citizens and the downtrodden masses in the state.
In my opinion, the way forward to cushion the effects of poverty and persistent hardships being faced in the state is to as a matter of urgency, implement certain social and economic empowerment interventions which include amongst others, the following:
Restoration of cash allocation to all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies:
This measure has already been embraced by His Excellency which will increase the circulation of more money thereby boosting the economic activities within the state.
Provision of Palliatives to vulnerable populations:
This has also received the blessing of His Excellency as even a committee for the distribution of food items to IDP camps has been set up in the state. There’s a need for this palliatives distribution committee to be scaled up to LGA levels across the state. More funds should be channeled directly to LGA authorities to ensure increased coverage so that more vulnerable populations are reached.
Setting up of more formal IDP camps and strengthening of the existing IDP camps in the state:
There is a need for the state government to emulate the Borno State Government in the area of rehabilitation reconstruction and resettlement of IDPs to provide critical lifesaving and sustaining support to those banditry-affected populations in the state. It is worrisome to note that most villages in the Sokoto East have been deserted. I can give a typical example of a known route to me, which is Marnona to Isa. It is highly disturbing with sober reflection to give an account of how from Tumbulla/ Sabon Garin Sabaru to Sarwa/Kunawa down to Girnashe villages have been deserted and are now in a moribund state. If one may ask, what is the fate of the displaced children who have dropped out of school? What future awaits these homeless and hopeless children? Would they continue to be homeless? Is it not the responsibility of the government to rehabilitate them by sheltering them, portable drinking water, and access to education and health? What plans and interventions is the state government putting in place to support these affected populations towards reconstruction and resettlement back to their villagers when eventually the bandits are decimated? Doing nothing about the Internally Displaced Persons from Sokoto Eastern Senatorial Zone of the state is like sitting on a keg of gunpowder. It is beyond just providing palliatives. I therefore wish to recommend the constitution or establishment of a committee or commission as may suit the governor, for the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement of IDPs which will work under the coordination or in collaboration with the Sokoto State Ministry for Social Welfare.
Support to Youths, Entrepreneurs, and Businessmen in the state:
In my recent article titled “Investing for the future: The Sokoto State of my dream” which was recently published in some national dailies specifically Blueprint newspaper on Friday, March 1, 2024, and FactCheck newspaper on March 4, 2024, and other online publications like Opera news, the storiesng.com, and ashenewsdaily.com. I have made lengthy valuable suggestions concerning economic empowerment interventions to be undertaken by the governor. I, therefore, refer my readers to this article which is also available on my Facebook pages (Nasiru Isa and Nasiru Yahaya Isa).
Payment of all outstanding gratuities of retired workers in the state and review of LGAs and LGEAs pension upwardly:
In this regard, His Excellency has already set up a committee under the chairmanship of the state Accountant General. However, it is already four weeks now, against the two weeks given to the committee to submit its report to the governor. Even though, till this moment, nothing has been heard about the report of the committee, the retired workers are still hopeful about a positive outcome coming from the committee.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that, beyond the Ramadan Feeding Program which is a short-term measure, implementing the above measures which are long-term in nature, will go a long way in ameliorating poverty and improving the living standard of the Sokoto State populace.
Isa (Wamban Isa), a retired Permanent Secretary of the Sokoto State Civil Service writes from Sokoto.
