By Halimah Olamide
There have been worries over the mode of handling of the N180bn and foodstuffs allocated to the 36 states of the federation as part of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s palliative strategies to alleviate the burdens imposed on Nigerians by the removal of fuel subsidy.
NPO Reports that Tinubu had, in his inauguration day, finally put a stop to fuel subsidy, a move that instant jerked up the prices of fuel and consequently cost of living.
With N5bn allocated to each state, and tonnes of stuffs sent to each state, there have been agitations in some states over modalities for distributions and possible diversions and bias.
Already, in Osun, the opposition All Progressive Congress has accused the Peoples Democratic Party-led government of hoarding the palliatives sent to the state.
While the Ademola Adeleke government has said the APC is only crying foul over nothing, the allegation which is also in many other states such as Kwara, Bayelsa, Kano, and others are symptomatic of the crisis that the palliatives are likely to ignite.
The APC said the PDP government had received the consignment from the FG twelve days before Thursday, and noted that Adeleke was playing a dangerous game by refusing to disclose or distribute the items.
The party further said five trailer-loads of rice with other items donated by the FG were sent to Osun as the state’s shares of the people’s palliatives to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.
In a statement by APC state Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, he alleged that the state government, after receiving the items, refused to announce to the people of Osun that it has taken possession of the FG’s palliative.
It further read, “I can’t fathom the reason why Governor Adeleke is finding it difficult to announce the arrival of the federal government palliatives to the state and also why it has been pretty difficult to distribute same. Is Governor Adeleke waiting for the people of the state to die of hunger before he deems it fit to make the palliatives available to serve its purpose at the right time?
“All genuine stakeholders in the Osun State project should plead with Adeleke to release the rice palliatives sent to the state by the Federal Government to get to the needy on time as the purpose for sending it down is not to be locked up in a hidden warehouse in the state.
“The diversion of the rice palliatives by the state government as it is being touted by some concerned discerning minds in the state would have a debilitating effect on the image of the reigning state government. Again, if the news spreading like a wild fire across the state that Adeleke is trying to play a fast one on the palliatives from Abuja by inscribing ‘Imole De Rice’ on it is anything to go by, it shall be resisted by all legal means.”
Apart from allegations, many have also asked why the federal government would give equal shares of palliatives to some states when their populations and other economic realities and variables are not the same.
“There may not be transparency in the distribution of the palliative,” said Dr. Hakeem Tijani, Senior official of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Reseach, (NISER), Ibadan, Oyo state capital.
He described the N5 billion per state of the federation as “throwing development at the people and acting unilaterally by the government.”
He explained, “Alas, throwing development at the people may not achieve the objective of the palliative, which is to bring succor over the hardship that is witnessed currently by Nigerians. We should not attempt to throw development at the people as development is a gradual phenomenon that requires a gradual process.
“There is a unique way that development works – some processes must be in place before development can occur. This means that the N5 billion given to each state may not be meaningful to the poor, and some issues may mar the process of distribution. Just like we witnessed during the sad era of the Covid-19 Pandemic in which the distribution of the palliatives that were meant for the citizens was manipulated by the politicians/public officeholders. Palliatives were found in public officeholders’ houses while some were in governments’ warehouses. A singular explanation for this is that Federal Government was not effective and it was so because it neither controlled the process of distribution nor owned it.”
Mrs. Mufuliat Fijabi, Executive Director of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, told the NPO Reports that the structures for distribution should have been well designed before the announcement of the palliatives.
“In my opinion I think the structure for distribution should have been clearly defined before the release of the funds.
“Also the goal of the distribution should have been clearly defined based on the expected results or outcomes. For example is the expected outcomes sustainable or not? If it’s to aid people to get temporary relief, then it is not the best but if it targets sustainable relief than it is more helpful and productive; which means the beneficiaries can move on with life with less pains from the subsidy removal long after the support must have been concluded.
“The government of each state should be transparent and make public their desired patterns of distribution otherwise it will cause more challenges than envisage. Nigerians need to be assured that it will not be sentiments based and the interest of all will be adequately taken care of.”
Bode Oluwafemi, Executive Director, Centre for Public Participation Accountability Africa (CAPPA), he feels there are enough channels through which the government could reach individuals with the palliatives rather than the centralised means which he fears might compromise the distribution.
“They can send money directly to peoples’ accounts. With that, we can monitor who got what. Most Nigerians these days have one platform or the other of receiving money electronically. That’s easy to monitor and evaluate. Besides, they should fast track those palliatives like the ones for mass transit,” Oluwafemi told the NPO Reports