AKSG Urges Timely, Equitable Distribution Of FG, State Palliatives

By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom government has called for timely and equitable distribution of the federal and state governments palliatives by local government transition chairmen, ministries of agriculture, local government and chieftaincy affairs, as well as other relevant agencies to serving citizens to cushion the current economic hardship in the country.
  The State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, who made the call, Wednesday, during a meeting with the commissioner for agriculture and rural development, Dr Offiong Offor, her counterpart in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Frank Archibong, alongside local government transition chairmen, at the conference room of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said the speedy distribution of the 48,000 25kg bags of rice from the federal and state governments was necessary to immediately cushion the current economic hardship.
  Eno confirmed the readiness of the commissioner for agriculture and rural development, Offor, to commence distribution of the items by Friday, July 26, 2024, urging the transition chairmen to be on ground in their various local government areas to receive and endeavour to release them to village heads immediately, whom he charged to ensure fairness in the distribution.
   “We have received palliatives, 24,000 bags of 25kg rice from the federal government. We have augmented it to 48,000 bags. We are sending them to you and to your local governments based on the number of gazeted villages which are 2,272 in the state.
  “By calculation, each village will have 20 bags. So they will take it and deliver but, please, we have to ensure that we finish sending these things to the various villages however you are going to do it. Either you call the village heads to come to the local governments, but please, however, by Monday, they should be distributed.”
  He charged the local government transition chairmen to continue giving their best to the people and not base their services on the chances they stand in the upcoming elections, as the state government will continue to work with them, even after their tenure in the council.
  The governor lauded some of the transition chairmen whose performance during their tenure in office have left positive and indelible marks, stressing that their legacies will speak for them both among their people and the state at large.
  While urging them to continuously belong to and support the party to victory in the various local government areas, Eno assured those who will not return as elected chairmen in the councils in the forthcoming election that government will not leave them behind.
  “I know that some of you will not be returning as elected chairmen, but let me assure each and every one of you that you will not be left behind. That is the assurance I know I can give you.
Please do your best to support those that are coming in. Don’t show them attitude or say it is not your business. It is still within the party. So is it with all of us. It is a revolving door. The door that takes you in is the same door that will still take you out and brings in another person.
  “The commissioner has always brought this matter to the fore. To those of you not returning, don’t make a problem about it, it is God that does these things but don’t worry, we will try and still accommodate those that are out and support the election as we stated, from wards to the chapters, then we go to the main AKISIEC election. Please do your best to support those that are coming in.
  “You don’t have to know where God is taking you to. It may not favour you, but don’t kill yourself. God has our future in His hands, and he knows what to do for each and every one of us. He is so transient. It is on record that God has put you there. People will remember you. I hope you have done something back in your various local governments that people will remember your time. Those are legacies and forever, there is no way you enter into your local government that your picture will not be up there. So with all of us it is a revolving door. The door that takes you in is the same door that will still take you out and brings in another person”.
  The commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Frank Archibong, expressed delight over the unprecedented visit of the governor to the ministry and having a firsthand interaction with the heads of local government councils to ensure the good intentions of government to trickle down to the grassroots.