Don’t Hoard Food Palliatives, Give To The Needy
…Oba Ogunlaja, Ogunsanwo, Aderibigbe And Ogungbesan Urge
Some traditional rulers in Epe Division, Lagos state, have appealed to all the tiers of government not to hoard food palliatives but distribute it accordingly and should be targeted mostly at the downtrodden/needy.
The traditional rulers made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Epe, on Thursday.
The NAN reports that the National Assembly approved N819.5 billion for the 2023 Supplementary Budget with significant allocations for different sectors. The budget set aside N500 billion as palliatives following the removal of fuel subsidy by Federal Government.
Oba Babatunde Ogunlaja, the paramount ruler and Aladeshoyin of Odo-Noforija, appealed to the government not stockpile the food palliatives but use it for the purpose it was meant to serve.
According to him, this food palliatives would go along way in solving some households food challenges.
“There is no doubt that the economy is harsh for now but there is no gain without pain. I am sure everything will be better in the country at the long run but I urged the government to be upright in their palliatives distributions and target the needy,” he said.
Ogunlaja opined that in the next phase of food distributions at the local government level, the Council Chairmen should work closely with the Traditional rulers to channel the food distribution through them, so as to reach out to wider audiences.
Also, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, the Alara of Ilara kingdom, urged local government chairmen against politics or sentiments in distributing palliatives to households in the community.
The traditional ruler said that the billions of naira rolled out by the government to other tiers of government to support the palliatives was sufficient to cushion the hardship faced by the people at the grassroots at the moment.
“The local government needs to go back to the drawing board and get their priority right. They shouldn’t see government funding and support as largesse to upgrade their financial status, rather use it for the purpose it is meant for,” he opined.
Ogunsanwo advised the council chairmen to work closely with the traditional rulers for fair distribution of the palliatives because the traditional institution was more accesible to the populace than the chairmen.
“Although, there is a working relationship between the traditional rulers and the tiers of government, the relationship needs to be strengthened,” he said.
Similarly, Oba Asumo Aderibigbe, the Alayandelu of Odo-Ayandelu, enjoined the council chairmen to work closely with the nongovernmental organisations NGOs, religious, community and traditional leaders, including the market and Community Development Associations (CDA’s) for equitable distribution of the palliatives to the poor households.
“The fuel subsidy palliative programme raises concerns about impacting the number of benefiting households.
“Achieving balanced economic development necessitates prioritising fair distribution, as it lays the foundation for an equitable and prosperous economic landscape,” he said.
He added that to address existing disparities, it becomes crucial to establish an accurate sharing formula that ensures fairness when allocating palliative to communities.
“By implementing such a transparent and equitable process, the government can demonstrate its commitment to good governance and promote a system that benefits all stakeholders.
“This approach will help foster trust, promote inclusivity, and contribute to a more balanced development,” he said.
High Chief Peter Ogungbesan, Baale of Ora Kingdom, said that effective strategies are needed for financial inclusion and equitable distribution.
“These challenges emphasise the importance of meticulous budget scrutiny, attention to detailed and innovative approaches to achieve equitable distribution and inclusive governance.”
Ogungbesan applauded the present administration led by Bola Tinubu on the strategic planning and measures put in place to unravel the current economic hardships.
“Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration in Lagos State is also trying his best but needed to work more with the government at the grassroots, traditional and religious leaders.
He commended the local government chairmen for the first phase of palliatives distributions and urged them to do better in the subsequent distributions”.
Source: NAN
