Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has called on Gov. Charles Soludo of Anambra to ensure transparency when disbursing the palliatives received from the Federal Government to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
The CLO made the call in a statement signed by the Chairman and Secretary, Mr Vincent Ezekwueme and Mr Chidi Mbah in Onitsha on Friday.
”The only way to actualise the federal government’s good intentions is to ensure prudent, patriotic, selfless and transparent disbursement of the palliatives for the benefit of the targeted citizens.
“Government should constitute Committee made up of of men and women of impeccable character and integrity to ensure that the palliatives get to the targeted beneficiaries and citizens”, the CLO said.
They further stressed that, for the state to get it right and do the right thing, the political class should not be included in the committee to avoid using the palliatives for political patronage and compensation of political loyalists.
The group said that the palliatives are meant for all citizens and residents of Anambra irrespective of political their political parties, religion, ethnicity and clans cleavages.
“We will monitor, observe and ensure that justice is done to all and sundry in the disbursement of the palliatives.
“We will not tolerate what happened during the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives in which hoarding and abuses became the order of the day, ” the CLO said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that on Aug. 17, the federal government allocated ₦5 billion to each state including the FCT, as palliatives to cushion the effects of the removal of petrol subsidy. Gov. Babagana Zulum Borno made this known after a National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
The meeting, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, is made up of Governors from all 36 states, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other appointed government representatives.
Delving into the specifics, Gov. Zulum explained that the allocated ₦5 billion aims to empower state governments in procuring essential commodities. This strategic procurement, he said, includes 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize, and fertilizers.
The overarching goal, Zulum said, is to mitigate the adverse impact of potential food shortages across the country. Gov. Zulum outlined the financial distribution mechanism, shedding light on its structure.
The ₦5 billion fund, he added, is slated to be shared using a carefully crafted formula: 52% of the allocated sum will be granted to states as direct financial assistance, while the remaining 48% is to be repaid gradually within a 20-month period to the CBN by both the states and the local government areas.
In the wake of the removal of fuel subsidy and the hike in transportation costs for individuals, several state governments as well as the Federal Government have been rolling out palliatives measures to cushion the effect of the hike in the cost of transportation.
During his July 31, broadcast, President Bola Tinubu said his government will monitor the effects of exchange rates and inflation on the prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol, and will intervene when necessary.