The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has handed over 24,180 bags of 50kg maize and 5,828 bags of 25kg Garri to Akwa Ibom State government for onward distribution to vulnerable people in the state.
The Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar while handing over the items in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital on Tuesday said, based on the directives of President Tinubu, 20% of the food items due for each LGA should be given to religious organizations (JNI & CAN) and 3% given to boarding schools in the LGAs.
The DG represented by Mrs Mmandu Aisueni, Head of Operations NEMA Uyo, stressed that the commodities will be shared in the communities through constituted Committees in each local government area, adding that membership of the committee in each LGA should be made up of the Chairman of the council, State Emergency Management Agency, a Traditional Ruler.
Other members include the Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Faith-Based Organizations, JNI & CAN, Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Women’s Associations, Persons With Disability Groups, Youth Associations, Principals of Boarding Schools, Civil Society Organizations and the media.
She said the exercise was in fulfilment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to reduce the impact of the current economic downturn in the country.
The statement in parts, “Mr President approved the release of 42,000MT of assorted food commodities from the National Strategic Reserve under the Custody of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMoA&FS). The assorted food commodities include maize, millet, sorghum, and garri.
“After sharing the commodities and successfully transporting the quantities allocated to Akwa Ibom State, today we are here to hand over the food items to the State Government for distribution to the deserving beneficiaries in the communities through the constituted Committees in each LGA.
“It is worthy of note that based on the allocation table, Akwa Ibom State has been allocated: 1,209 MT of maize (24,180 bags of 50kg)145.1:MT of garri(5,828 bags of 25kg).”
Receiving the commodities on behalf of the Akwa Ibom State government, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Offiong Offor thanked the president for his interventions to the plights of the vulnerable in the country.
Describing food as the basic need of man, the commissioner said President Tinubu through his Renewed Hope Agenda had stopped at nothing in providing staple food to the people to mitigate the impact of the high cost of food items.
She also thanked Governor Umo Eno for his complementary efforts towards increasing the quantity of food items given by the federal government saying that such has ensured that Nigerians live healthy and happy.
On his part, Amb Sunday Usikhifo Aniu, the Personal Assistant to Governor Umo Eno on Volunteer Services pledged the state’s loyalty and support to President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
He promised that with collaborations with relevant agencies such as ICPC, and police among others they would ensure that the items get to appropriate beneficiaries accordingly.
“The president has done extremely well in providing food to the vulnerable people in the society, the other time he brought 24000 bags of 25kg rice and now he has brought maize and garri and we are fully in support of his renewed hope agenda and on behalf of his Excellency, governor Umo Eno. We appreciate his effort and thank him so much, and we will ensure that the food is being distributed accordingly,” Aniu added.