*Fuel subsidy removal: Mbah inaugurates committee on palliatives for residents of Enugu State*

…charges them on transparency, speedy distribution of relief items

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has rolled out palliatives to mitigate the harsh economic effects of the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government on residents of the state, stressing that his government feels the pains the people are passing through.

The governor disclosed this on Monday in Enugu while inaugurating a committee for the procurement, storage and distributions of the relief items to the citizens.

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He charged members of the committee, chaired by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, to handle the palliatives with transparency, while ensuring the speedy distributions of the items to those in dire need of them.

Governor Mbah who acknowledged the harsh impact the fuel subsidy had occasioned on the people, further said that the subsidy removal would immensely benefit Nigerians in the long run.

While maintaining that he shared in the pains Nigerians were going through at the moment, Mbah expressed the hope that the palliatives would help alleviate their hardships.

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He also enjoined the committee to spare no time in ensuring that the palliatives were sent to “homes of those that need them the most in the state.”

According to the governor: “You recall that few months ago the Federal Government of Nigeria removed the fuel subsidy. And as you know, that came with pains, shared pains, even though we believe in the long run, it will be beneficial to the country. The question for us now as leaders is, how do we mitigate those shared pains that our people are going to be exposed to? It is part of what we are doing to see how we can begin to cushion the effects of some these pains. So, what we are doing now is to see how to fix the pains people are going through. 

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“There are also plans for short and medium term solutions, and that we are going to do in due course. What I am asking you to do is to ensure that this gets to the people who deserve the palliatives. In terms of items that will be distributed, what is extremely important in situations like this, is speed. I also want to, not only be transparent, but to be seen as transparent. We want to show and we want the people to also see that the distribution of the palliatives is done in a transparent way, in a reputable manner, and get to the people who truly deserve them".

Responding on behalf of the committee members, the Deputy Governor expressed the committee’s readiness to deliver on the assignment and work with the template given to them in ways that would reflect transparency.

He appreciated the governor for meeting the yearnings of the people, even as he assured that the committee would not disappoint in the discharge of their responsibilities.

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Members of the committee are the chairman, Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON), Enugu State, and Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area, Hon. Okechukwu Sydney Edeh, ALGON Deputy Chairman and Chairman of Uzo Uwani Local Government Area, Hon. Chukwudi Nnadozie, Chairman of Awgu Local Area, Hon. Pedro Nwankwo abd his Enugu East counterpart, Hon. Livinus Anike.

Others are the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Mike Ogbuekwe, Programme Manager of Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP), Dr. Ogbonna Onyeisi, and the head of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Chinasa Mbah.