By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
The Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP), Comrade Olowu Olayemi Omokehinde, voiced strong objections regarding the distribution of federal government palliatives intended to ease the impact of the fuel subsidy removal. Omokehinde accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of favoring members of his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the allocation of these essential resources.
Addressing journalists and residents of Ogun State on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at his office in Shimawa, Omokehinde expressed his concerns, stating, “I want the Federal Government to send its representatives to monitor how the palliatives are shared in Ogun State because Governor Dapo has turned the initiative into his political family affairs, which is not aligned with the F.G’s motives.”
The federal government had previously announced a N5 billion palliative for each state in Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to mitigate the consequences of the petrol subsidy removal.
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State initiated the distribution of these palliatives on Friday, saying he wished to cushion the impact of the subsidy removal. During the symbolic launch at the Arcade ground of the Governor’s Office in Abeokuta, he disclosed his plan to distribute 300,000 bags of 10kg rice across the state’s 5,400 polling units.
Governor Abiodun emphasized, “This is a federal government initiative under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that is being domesticated right here in Ogun State. Our desire in the first instance is to distribute about 300,000 bags of 10kg rice across our 5,400 polling units.”
He justified using polling units as a reference for distribution, citing equity concerns. “We have decided to use the polling units as a reference of distribution, not wards because we realized that using wards won’t be equitable,” the Governor explained.
Furthermore, Governor Abiodun detailed various immediate, medium, and long-term measures the government is undertaking to alleviate the impact of the subsidy removal. He instructed the Central Working Committee responsible for palliative distribution to ensure it is carried out transparently and effectively across the twenty local government areas of the state.
Governor Abiodun reiterated his confidence in the distinguished personalities overseeing the palliative distribution, assuring the people of Ogun State that it would be conducted responsibly and with utmost transparency.
The allegations made by Comrade Olowu Olayemi Omokehinde, however, raise concerns about the equitable distribution of federal government palliatives in Ogun State, adding a layer of scrutiny to Governor Abiodun’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal as members of other political parties in the state are lamenting on how the palliatives are shared.
“Residents of Ogun State have no trust in your way of palliative distribution because you have failed in all ramifications. Mr. Governor, Ogun State should not be one of the states that have bad road networks, as it is now, despite being known as the state that generates the largest IGR monthly,” Omokehinde lamented.
As the situation unfolds, residents and stakeholders eagerly await further developments and government actions to address these allegations.