The Yobe State governor Hon Mai Mala Buni said arrangements are 0n top gear by his administration for the launching of a massive agricultural intervention geared towards enhancing food security in the state and the country in general.
Buni stated this in Damaturu during the flagging-off ceremony of the distribution of the federal government Strategic Grains Reserve Palliative programme.
According to a statement from his director general Press Affairs and Media Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, the governor said the massive agricultural intervention was also meant to support people to participate actively in agricultural production for sustainable means of livelihood.
“We are committed to making agriculture in Yobe state attractive, productive, and profitable for effective and efficient food sufficiency, food security, and economic prosperity,” he said.
The governor used the forum and commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for complementing the efforts of the state government with grains palliative for distribution to people across the state.
He said the programme captures the weak, old, people living with disabilities, orphans, widows, and other vulnerable persons in the state.
“It is gratifying that the federal government under the able leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is complementing the efforts of the state government through the Strategic Grain Reserve programme with 21,000 bags of assorted grains made up of Maize, Millet and Sorghum for distribution to individuals across the state.
“This would provide succour and make life easy for this group in the face of the global economic hardships in which Nigeria and Yobe state are no exception.
“You will recall that about a month ago, we launched the distribution of 50, 000 bags of assorted grains targeting 120, 000 vulnerable households across the 17 local government areas to provide food to those who are actually in need.
“Our government had before then provided several interventions with a fair and transparent distribution to eligible beneficiaries.
“The citizens’ welfare no doubt occupies a primary position on the priority list of this administration, and this explains the continuous interventions by the government to ensure that food is made available to the less privileged and vulnerable persons” Buni said.
He assured that the government would continue to ensure fair and equitable distribution of the grains to people with genuine needs.
“Let me once again remind officials entrusted with the transportation and distribution of the palliative that the government would deal ruthlessly with any one or group that engages in diversion and/or sale of the materials to sabotage our efforts.
“Such saboteurs would be arrested and prosecuted to face the full wrath of the law” Gov. Buni warned.
He further cautioned that the government has constituted a committee, including representatives of security agencies, to monitor and apprehend officials who divert or dispose of the grains provided by the state or federal governments.
Buni, handed over allocations to local government councils through their respective Directors of Personnel Management, schools, and faith-based organizations, among others.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Zonal director, Yakubu Suleiman who spoke on behalf of the agency’s Director General said the food items should be shared equally to all local governments of the state.
“Also based on the directives of the president, 20% of the food items due to each local government should be given to religious groups JNI and CAN, 3% to be given to boarding schools in the local government areas.”
