The Federal Government has handed over 24,180 bags of 50kg maize and 5,828 bags of 25kg ‘garri’ to the Akwa Ibom Government for distribution to vulnerable households.
Zubaida Umar, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), made the presentation on behalf of the Federal Government in Uyo.
Represented by Mmandu Aisueni, the Head of Operations, NEMA Akwa Ibom office, Umar said the donation was in fulfilment of President Bola Tinubu’s promise to Nigerians. It would be recalled that the Federal Government approved the release of 42, 000 metric tonnes of assorted food items from the National Strategic Reserve to vulnerable households.
Umar said that the president’s promise was the government’s way of reducing the impact of the current economic hardship in the country.
“We are here to hand over the food items to the state government for distribution to the intended beneficiaries in the communities,” she said.
The NEMA D-G said that the food items should be shared in the communities through properly constituted committees at the local government levels. She said that membership of the local government committees should include the council chairman, representatives of the State Emergency Management Agency and the traditional institutions.
Umar said that 20% of the food items for each council area should be given to religious groups and that 3% of it should be given to boarding schools in the area.
Receiving the items, Dr Offiong Offor, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, commended the Federal Government for the intervention. Offor said that the gesture was a demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to the well-being of the citizenry.
The commissioner promised that the state government would ensure that the items were given to the intended beneficiaries.