Aligned with the initiatives enacted by his administration through the Sustainable Actions for Economic Recovery (SAfER) program, aimed at alleviating the challenges stemming from the removal of fuel subsidies, ‘Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State, has initiated the food relief facet of SAfER.
In a communication issued by Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Oyo State, it was conveyed that the governor commenced the distribution of food relief packages at the Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III Mini-stadium in Oyo. The governor, during the launch, revealed that around 200,000 households were set to benefit from the food relief support. He emphasized that the government had meticulously strategized SAfER, which, in his view, transcends mere palliative efforts.
Governor Makinde further expressed gratitude to the residents of Oyo zone for their unwavering support during the March 18 gubernatorial election, acknowledging the significant victory margin achieved in the region.
Concurrently with the governor’s event in Oyo, the Deputy Governor of the state, Barrister Bayo Lawal, along with the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, and the Chief of Staff to the governor, initiated the distribution of food relief packages in Saki, Iseyin, and Ogbomoso. For Ibadan Less City, the Deputy Speaker, Hon Abiodun Fadeyi, took charge of distributing the food packages. Likewise, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, and Honourable Ademola Ojo, the counterpart in the Trade, Industry, Investment, and Cooperatives Ministry, spearheaded the scheme for Ibadan Main City and Ibarapa zone respectively.
Governor Makinde highlighted that the food relief packages were intended for the most economically vulnerable, aiming to alleviate the adverse impacts of the economic challenges on them. Each package contained a 10kg bag of rice, a 5kg bag of beans, a 5kg bag of yam flour, and a 1kg bottle of vegetable oil.
He emphasized that the government recognized the widespread impact of the subsidy removal and, therefore, designed various aspects of SAfER to address the needs of different segments of society. Governor Makinde stated, “In Oyo State, we don’t want to treat the symptoms but attack the roots. One thing about Sustainable Action is that it takes proper planning and strategy.”
He clarified that, unlike some misinformation, the Federal Government’s contribution had been acknowledged transparently. The state’s meticulous planning for the distribution aimed at ensuring that each household received a substantial package, thus an additional 37,000 bags of rice were procured to supplement the Federal Government’s 3,000 bags, resulting in a total of 40,000 bags.
Governor Makinde also underlined that the relief items, aside from rice, were locally produced, signifying support for local farmers and the economy. He noted, “Whatever we want to distribute in each zone would be procured in the zones.”
Furthermore, the governor outlined the multi-faceted components of the SAfER initiative, encompassing low-interest loans for artisans and small businesses, enterprise support for youth in agribusiness, transportation subsidies, free healthcare for pensioners and households under the Oyo State Health Insurance scheme. He clarified that the N5 billion facility from the Federal Government had not yet been fully utilized, with N2 billion disbursed thus far.
In conclusion, Governor Makinde conveyed his commitment to responsibly utilizing the allocated funds and assured the public that the plans for the facility’s use would be revealed at the appropriate time. He expressed appreciation for the support of the people and highlighted the positive impact of the SAfER program on the state’s economic recovery.
