News
Stakeholders call for judicious use of fuel subsidy funds
Some stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to channel subsidy funds into agriculture, health and education to address the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
The Stakeholders which include 19 Civil Society Organisations, traditional leaders, women groups and Unions, among others, made the call during a two-day northern regional town-hall meeting organised by Partnership for Amplified Voices (PAV) in Kano.
The stakeholders also called for increase minimum wage and subsidized production.
The Executive Director Connected Development (CODE), Mr Hamzat Lawal, said that the meeting was to come together to proffer lasting solutions on fuel subsidy removal which has affected people at the grassroots level.
Lawal described citizens engagement as a major catalyst to help improve their engagements in the northern region, states and Communities and be more effective at promoting transparency and accountability.
On his part, the National Coordinator, NG Cares, Dr Abdulkarim Obaje, in his presentation, tagged “understanding the NG Cares initiative of Federal Government, Financed by world bank”, called for enforcement of funds release policy to ensure timely release of palliatives.
“The fund should not stay more that 10 working days in the account of the state government and immediately be disbursed to the beneficiaries,” Obaje said.
He advised CSOs to work closely with government and citizens, to effectively monitor the subsidy savings and spendings to promote transparency and accountability at sub national level.
Dr Eze Onyekpere, also speaking on “fuel subsidy Savings and other FG policies: How can citizens optimally benefit?” noted that an Infrastructure support fund has been set up by proclamation to alleviate suffering due to fuel subsidy removal.
Speaking earlier, the Falakin Bichi, Alhaji Abba Wada-Waziri, emphasized the need for more efforts, by CSOs to ensure that palliatives are distributed at the grasssroots level.
Others who spoke during the town-hall meeting, include: Hajiya Mairo Bello from AGIP, Safiyan Lawan-Bichi, from Kano budget working group and Fatima Musa-Aliyu, Bridge connect Africa, among others.
The town-hall meeting, with the theme “How Best Citizens Can Benefit From Government Policies on Electricity Pallaitives and Fuel Subsidy Savings”, was organized by Partnership for Amplified Voice (PAV) with support from World Bank.
The PAV is an accountability Civil Society platform facilitated by partnership of two leading CSOs in Nigeria, BudgIT Foundation (BudgIT) and Connected Development (CODE).
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, has confirmed the death of a woman in an accident at Okpoko Market on the Asaba-Onitsha Road.
The Sector Commander, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said that the woman was hit while she was crossing the road.
He said that the accident, which occurred on Wednesday, involved a commercial tow truck with registration number XA550BMA.
“Eyewitness report reaching us indicates that the truck was towing a vehicle in an uncontrollable speed along the axis.
“The vehicle that was being towed got detached from the tow truck.
“It hit and killed a female adult, who was said to be crossing the road, while the tow truck continued its movement.
“FRSC rescue team came to the scene and took the woman to Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, where she was confirmed dead and her body deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.
While sympathising with the family of the dead, the sector commander urged motorists, especially tow truck drivers, to exercise a high level of professionalism.
He also urged the drivers to always use standard equipment and avoid speeding.
The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, said the state government’s maize palliative to members of the association made a positive impact on the sector.
Iyiola said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
“We received about 150,000 tons of maize in February from the Lagos State government as palliative to cushion the effect of high feed prices.
“The major benefit of the palliative is that it actually cushioned the cost of production for most poultry farmers in the state.
“The palliative was beneficial as it made the cost of some poultry produce, especially eggs to drop,” Iyiola said.
He noted that prior to the palliative, a crate of egg was sold between N3,500 and N3,700 at the farm gate, but after the palliative, it now sells between N3,200 and N3,400.
According to the PAN chair, retailers and middlemen who sell from N3,800 to N4,200 do that for their personal gain.
“We have urged our members to sell their eggs at reasonable prices following the receipt of the palliative from the government.
“We appreciate the Lagos State government for the palliative but we also urge the federal government to do likewise, to further reduce the cost of production in the sector.
“This will consequently lead to drop in the prices of all poultry produce across board,” he said.
He said the palliative was shared among financial members of the association at no extra cost.
“As an association we shared the grains equally across PAN’s eight zones in the state equally. We also mandated each zone not the sell even a grain of the maize.
“We, however, considered new poultry farmers who wanted to the join the association as beneficiaries of the palliative,” said Iyiola.
He noted that through the palliative, more poultry farmers were recruited into the association.
“The maize was shared only to poultry farmers and not feed millers, it is the major component of poultry feed formulation,” he said.
Woman killed while crossing road in Anambra
LASG’s maize palliative impactful, says poultry association chair
Fagbemi warns against obstructing EFCC from performing its lawful duty
BDCs now buying dollar at ₦980 — ABCON President
Osun Poly Student, Olanrewaju Olatona killed by hit-and-run one-way driver
Seplat Energy celebrates a decade of Dual Listing with Bell Ringing Ceremony at Nigerian Stock Exchange
3 teens arrested in Germany for allegedly plotting terror attack
Breaking…Naira abuse: Court sentences Bobrisky to 6 months in custody
Lagos Court Grants Emefiele N50m Bail
