Subsidy Removal: FG To Monitor Palliatives Deployment, According to the Presidency

The Special Adviser argues that Nigerians should have faith in state governors to distribute painkillers since they were elected on the basis of their ability to meet the needs of the populace.

According to the Presidency, the Federal Government is prepared to monitor the state-level distribution of palliatives to Nigerians in order to lessen the impact of the elimination of subsidies.

Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Advisor to the President on Media and Publicity, announced this on Friday’s episode of Politics Today on Channels Television.

“It is fair to say that a check is unnecessary. We have implemented the palliatives distribution because there needs to be a method of monitoring, which is why federal regulators are involved, he said.

To allow them to purchase food products for distribution to the underprivileged in their respective states, the Federal Government authorised N5 billion for each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This information was revealed at the Presidential Villa in Abuja shortly after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday by Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum.

Within hours of the announcement, Tinubu’s spokesperson acknowledged that there was a chance that bad apples could show up during the disbursement process, but added that his principal would enact a bottom-up strategy.

Therefore, what we are doing right now is as follows: “Yes, the state government is empowered to the extent that they are putting into practise some of the palliatives that we are talking about with respect to the delivery of rice and maize to communities throughout the states and other supplements that are by this point well known.

But on the federal level, we are also making sure that these money are not just freebie grants that don’t need to be repaid. It’s a loan facility, first and foremost.

Ajuri also attacked the organised labour, advising them to refrain from making generalisations about the state governors’ incapacity to handle the distribution of palliatives.

By the way, he added, “We know that’s a foolish assumption, but the organised labour movement is painting all 36 of these state governors with the same brush as if they are all the same, performing at the same level, and having the same capability.

The Special Adviser argues that Nigerians should have faith in state governors to distribute painkillers since they were elected on the basis of their ability to meet the needs of the populace.

“What we are saying is that Nigerians elected these state governors just as they elected the president, and we have to trust the judgement of Nigerians who elected these officials to conduct these activities on their behalf,” the man added.

“Therefore, it can’t just be initial panic that they can’t do it. We have to have faith in them to carry out the duties they were chosen for.

The “history of maladministration in our country,” he continued, “means that such scepticism is expected.”