By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
About two months after the official launch of the cash and foodstuffs palliative distribution worth over N3.1 billion to physically challenge persons and other less privileged persons across 27 local government areas of Jigawa state, only 11 local government areas have been able to meet with the condition for cash collection.
The Jigawa state commissoner for special Duties, Auwal D Sankara indicated that 16 out of 27 local government councils are yet to meet the required criteria for collecting the sum of N720 million cash as palliative.
The commissoner made the disclosure while speaking to news men in Dutse, indicating that, “so far only 11 local governments were able to meet with the payment requirements adding that they stand to benefit from the current disbursement of N1.08b cash as palliative to 108,000 persons in the state”.
According to him “The state government approved a total of N40 million for each of the 27 local government areas as palliative for 4,000 Persons Living With Disability (PWDs), Orphans, women and elderly people”.
Mr Sankara explained that 4000 persons will get 10,000 each from the 27 local government areas of the state.
Findings by our reporter in the state revealed that about two months after the official flag off of the palliative distribution by the state Governor Malam Umar Namadi only 44,000 out of 108,000 targeted beneficiaries have received the cash assistance.
It was also gathered that about 64,000 targeted beneficiaries who are People Leaving with Disability (PWDs), Orphans, elderly people and Women were waiting to collect.
When contacted the JIgawa state chairman of the Association for Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Honourable Bala Usman Chamo said “The problem came as a result of the need for benefiaried to own bank accounts through which they can get the cash.
Hon Chamo explained that there are specific persons meant to benefit from the gesture.
In an attempted to ensure justice, transparency as well as blocking malpractices, the governor ordered that beneficiaries would be paid directly through their bank account”.
“And looking at the categories of the beneficiaries, especially those in the rural areas many of them have no bank account. I believed this is the major cause of the delay, but not because of negligence on the part of the local government councils’ chairmen”.
Our reporter in the state gathered that the state governor, Malam Umar Namadi had on 15th of September 2023 flagged up the palliative distribution to 108, 000 less prevellage people across 27 local government areas of the state.
When he launched the programme in Gumel town, the governor Namadi had indicated that his government allocated a total sum of N1.080 billion to be disbursed to the beneficiaries.
According to him, the N1.080 billion will be disbursed to 108,000 beneficiaries across the 287 political wards in the 27 local government areas in the state.
“Under this framework, N40 million will be allocated to each of the 27 local governments for distribution to 1,000 youths, 1,000 women, 1,000 elderly, and 1,000 persons with Disability. We are anticipating that 108,000 people will receive N10,000 each.”