Additional N500 million has been secured for palliatives by the Cross River government

According to Prof. Anthony Owan-Eno, secretary to the Cross River State Government, the state has acquired an additional N500 million for the palliatives committee to buy more goods to ease the effects of hard times brought on in part by the elimination of petroleum subsidies.

Owan-Eno made this public in a news release, where he identified the recipients of the sacks of rice as follows: Students (1000 bags), Religious Groups (800), Traditional Rulers (400), Trade Unions (300 bags), Labour Unions (800 bags), Civil Servants (800 bags), and Persons with Disabilities (200 bags).

Motherless Babies Homes, 200, IDPs, 800, Refugees, 800, Pensioners, Support Groups/IPAC, 1100, Security, and 100 of the National Youth Council are other organisations.

Ogeyi Odey, the director general of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, or SEMA, acknowledged that the agency had received the supplies and that distributions would start the next week throughout the entire state.

Odey outlined how the Agency already had a plan in place for how to cover all 18 LGAs, and he added that any organisation not on the currently approved list would undoubtedly be included in the future.

The SEMA chairman also said that the state’s warehouses, which were smashed during the 2020 EndSARS demonstrations, had been outfitted with substantial iron doors to safeguard the supplies.

Odey refuted claims that she is being pressured to reroute the palliatives by politicians, traditional leaders, or APC officials in the government or the ruling party.

She said that she had sufficient security coverage at the numerous warehouses throughout the state and beyond to support the distributions.

“It is untrue that I am being pressured by anyone. I have never been forced to favour somebody by a government, traditional chief, or party leaders.

“I simply follow the State Governor’s instructions, and he has now given his approval for the administration of the palliatives.

She insisted, “Anyone or any groups that haven’t been captured yet can get to the governor, and he will advise me accordingly.”