The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has emphatically cautioned against the illicit diversion of palliatives that are intended to benefit the poor and vulnerable groups residing within the territory.
Wike issued this warning on Tuesday during the ongoing distribution of essential food supplies to vulnerable residents in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). The distribution exercise, which commenced on Monday, entails the dispersal of 12,000 bags of rice and maize to vulnerable households across the six area councils within the FCT.
The minister, represented by Mr Lawan Geidam, Mandate Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, FCTA, reaffirmed the administration’s unwavering commitment to addressing the plight of the less fortunate members of society.
He conveyed that the poor and vulnerable individuals in society bear the brunt of the petroleum subsidy removal and that their concerns necessitate immediate attention and prioritization. Hence, he sternly warned those tasked with the distribution exercise to resist any temptation to divert the essential food items intended to alleviate the impact of the subsidy removal.
Wike explicated, “The unwavering commitment to sustain the palliative distribution is a testament to the noble intentions of the Bola Tinubu administration to provide unwavering support to the vulnerable residents of the FCT.”
He further elucidated, “This initiative seeks to alleviate the financial burdens brought about by the removal of fuel subsidies and to ensure that essential food items reach those who are most in need.”
Prior to Wike’s address, the Chairman of AMAC, Mr Christopher Maikalangu, fervently appealed to the administration to allocate a more substantial quantity of food items to AMAC, citing its sizeable population of impoverished individuals.
Assuring the minister of the council’s full compliance, Maikalangu pledged that the food items would successfully reach the intended groups within all the political wards of AMAC.
During a similar distribution exercise held in Bwari Area Council, Wike sternly cautioned that the FCTA would not tolerate any acts of sabotage that jeopardize the welfare and wellbeing of the vulnerable population.
