Gov Ododo Flags off Distribution of Food Items to Kogi People
Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has flagged off the distribution of food items as palliatives to the people of the state to cushion the prevailing difficulty faced by Nigerians.
Flagging off the distribution on Tuesday in Lokoja, Alhaji Ododo said the palliative being provided was in fulfillment of his promise to the people of the state while campaigning to be Governor of the state.
He said, it is also in his determination to build on the legacies of his predecessor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello that he is committing to bettering the lives of the people through the palliative which he restated would be a regular exercise under his leadership.
The Governor stated that the palliative was meant for people at the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ecosystem of the state and that his government would not condone any attempt to hoard the food items.
In fact, the Governor said he would be part of the monitoring team to ensure it reached the people for whom it was meant and make life easier for them.
He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the necessary atmosphere for the provision of palliative, noting his assurances that President Tinubu meant well for the country and that he ensured Nigerians got out of the economic trial the country was facing.
In her opening address, the State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Hajiya Rabiyetu Okute said the programme became necessary in view of the economic difficulty being faced in the country, including the State, noting that the current administration has zero tolerance for hunger.
In his own address, the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Aliyu Umar Yusuf said, that to admit that the state was going through difficulty is to state the obvious, adding that the palliative is proof that the current government has the interest of the people of the state at heart.
He called on leaders at all levels to look beyond the palliative and ensure the issue of the low cost of foodstuff is addressed, adding that it was inconceivable.
As representatives of the people, the speaker noted that they would not remain silent and that they would ensure what is due to the citizens is made available to them to make life better for the citizens.
In his address, the Ata Igala and Chairman Kogi State Council Chiefs, HRM Matthew Alaji Opaluwa enjoined the people of the state to continue to pray for government at all levels, stressing that it is only through their support that those in charge of people’s affairs could provide ways out of the ongoing difficulty.
Speaking, the State APC Party Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Bello noted that the occasion has demonstrated that the Governor is a promise keeper, hence his decision to build on the achievements of the immediate past administration.
He said the occasion has shown that APC has come to stay in Kogi State because the previous government has shown that there is no option but to continue to attract development to the people.
Other speakers, including the the organised labour all applauded the gesture, noting that it would go a long way to improve the quality of people’s lives.
