The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, flagged off the distribution of food items for 500,000 vulnerable households in the state on Sunday to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
Speaking during the exercise at the Lagos State House in Alausa, Ikeja, the governor said that the strategic goal of the program was to reach vulnerable households in the state with staple food items using two methodologies.
He said that under category 1, groups would receive bulk food items including 50 kg of rice, 50 kg of garri, and 100kg of beans.
He said that in category two, individual vulnerable households would receive food boxes that consist of 10 kg of rice, 5 kg of garri, and 5kg of beans.
“I stand before you all today, deeply aware of the challenges that many Lagosians have been facing with regards to the sharp increases in transportation costs and the prices of essential food items across the state as a direct effect of the policy on the removal of fuel subsidies by the Federal Government.
“As a responsive government, we announced a number of measures aimed at ameliorating the effect of the policy on our people, most especially the vulnerable.
“These palliative measures, which are already being implemented, include a 50 percent reduction in transportation costs in the government-owned bus system and free health services for pregnant women in government hospitals, among others.
“One of the measures that we announced and are formally flagging off today is the distribution of food items for vulnerable households through the Lagos Food Bank Program.
“The strategic goal of this program is to reach 500,000 vulnerable households in the state with staple food items using two methodologies: bulk and individual.
“Bulk food items include 50kg of rice, 50kg of garri, and 100kg of beans for groups, and food boxes (10kg of rice, 5kg of garri, and 5kg of beans) for individual vulnerable households,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said that to ensure transparency in the implementation of this intervention, a monitoring committee would be constituted.
According to him, members of the committee would be drawn from religious groups, trade unions, people with disabilities, civil society and non-governmental organizations, youth groups, community development councils, and representatives of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
He lauded the federal government, urging it to do more to alleviate the economic hardship in the state.
“I am very happy about it because it will go a long way for the less privileged people.
“The impact of fuel subsidy is being felt by everyone in general. So, this is a welcome development.
“When this palliative goes around, people will be relieved a little bit by the policy,” he said.
Newsmen disclosed that representatives of 18 groups received their food palliatives.
They include the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), religious groups, and physically challenged groups.
