Governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 2019 election in Lagos State, Chief Owolabi Salis, has advised the federal government to make the distribution of palliativesa continuous process because of the endemic poverty in the country.
Salis in a statement he signed, said poverty had become expedient, going by the army of poor people across the country.
According to him, it would therefore make a lot of sense, if palliatives given to the masses are made continuous because hunger occasioned by poverty is a time bomb which Nigeria cannot afford.
Salis who is fondly addressed as Oba Mekunnu of Africa King of the masses in Africa) because of his philanthropic gesture said the poverty level in Nigeria has been made worse by the removal of fuel subsidy by the current administration.
He said, “There is no doubt that the government needs to be proactive in addressing the misery in which millions of Nigerians have fallen into in recent times.
“The presidency should set up a grassroots governance system like “Presidency Direct” by recognising the circle of relationships at the wards.
“We have about 9,000 wards. What stops the government from throwing food and drugs stamps of 1,000,000 to the wards weekly. That’s just N9 billion out of the billions saved from subsidy.
“They are going to fight over the money. While fighting, another money comes in and another. This will make the grassroots sort themselves out. The money is strictly for food and drugs, and landlords and car owners are disqualified. Instead of cash, it can be in the form of food stamps or paid to food suppliers to supply foods to the wards.
“Since the removal of fuel subsidy, I have personally given over 1,000 people a minimum of N50,000 to resolve hunger and health problems. I am sure many philanthropists are doing the same.
“People are dying of hunger. Let us imagine many elderly people in the grassroots who are poor and have no family or think of those children without family, waking up daily to hunger? This is pathetic. We have to think of them and make provisions for them.’’
