WE'LL COLLABORATES FG, OTHERS TO SUPPORT OUR PEOPLE - GOV ABIODUN

          Ogun State government has assured of collaborating with the Federal Government and other stakeholders, to ensure that the people were not made to suffer unnecessary hardship, as a result of the lockdown, occasioned by the Coronavirus in the country.

          

The State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, who stated this while receiving the Minister of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Hajia Sadia Farouk, in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, explained that  government has commenced the distribution  of stimulus packages to 500, 000 poor and vulnerable in the State.

          Abiodun said the State government was collaborating with stakeholders on various ways of assisting residents; now that the commercial activities in the entire state have been locked down due to the sit at home order.

          While appreciating the Federal Government for releasing five truck load 50kg bags of rice and a truck load of vegetable oil to the Ogun State government to cushion the effects of lockdown, Prince Abiodun said the State would work towards ensuring people benefited from the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme of the Federal government.

          Fielding questions from newsmen, the Minister, Hajia Sadiat Farouk, explained that, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved palliative items for federal capital territory, FCT, Lagos and Ogun states, as part of measures to assist the poor and vulnerable that may be affected by the ongoing lockdown

          While commending Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration for being proactive in tackling the pandemic, Hajia Farouk said the team brought good messages and solidarity from Mr. President to the state government and its people and also to discuss best ways to assist the residents during this period.

          She said over 100 truckloads of soghum and garri were on the way to the State, while five trailers loads of 50kg bags of rice and one trailer of vegetable oil were on ground to be distributed to the people, to mitigate the effects of the lockdown on the people.

          Hajia Farouk said her team was also in the State to ascertain the progress made in the registration of beneficiaries for the Conditional Cash Transfer, assuring that people would begin to benefit in the next phase scheduled for May and June this year.

          "We have come to discuss with the Governor on how we are going to work on the safety nets to support the vulnerable and the poor in the country, especially, Ogun State.

          "We have also come with some relief items to support the government of the State on what they are doing as palliatives to the vulnerable and poor citizens. Mr. President had pronounced the lock down of two states and the FCT, and Ogun State will be included in all the paliatives measures we have taken to cushion the effects of this COVID-19", she said.