Ondo announces expansive palliative –  food for one million households, free shuttle busses for students  

  

Ondo state government has announced measures to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.

The State Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa, said that the palliative measures will address pocketbook issues affecting citizens of the state.

Akinterinwa, who is the Chairman Palliative Strategy and Implementation Committee, said that on transportation, the state government “will restore free shuttle buses for students starting from resumption in September, till December 31st.

According to him,  “Thereafter, affordable rates will be charged from January 2024. In like manner, free shuttle boats equipped with life jackets for students in riverine areas starting at resumption in September, till December 31st. Thereafter, affordable rates will be charged from January 2024.

“We will immediately deploy all existing buses in all MDA’S to serve as free shuttle buses to public servants till December 31st.

“Additional CNG Buses will be purchased to convey public servants to and from work at no cost to them, till December 31st.

”In addition to the provision of free shuttle buses earlier mentioned, there will be immediate payment of 2020 leave bonus to public servants.

“It should be noted that the state government has already paid leave bonuses for 2021, 2022 and 2023.”

On Social Intervention, the commissioner said that “unconditional cash transfer – For three months, ten thousand Naira (N10,000) will be given to selected vulnerable persons in every local government.

“All pensioners in the state, be they local government or state, will get ten thousand Naira (N10,000) each starting this August till December 2023.

“Free food packages will be distributed to 1 million households across the 18 local government the state.

“Farm inputs at subsidized rates will be made available to farmers. Our poultry and fish farmers will be given free drugs, maize, and feeds for their birds and fishes. In addition, training on local feed formulation and production will be given to them, to help them look inwards.

“Agrochemicals, seeds, drip lines, farm tools and power tillers will be given at subsidized rates. In riverine areas, free fishing nets and subsidized kilns will be made available.

“To ease the movement of farm produce, tricycles will be given free to farming communities. This will be supervised by officially recognized, community-based stakeholder groups.

“The state government has authorized immediate suspension of haulage fee collection on all non-graded agricultural produce. These are produce that are consumed locally and not for export.”

The commissioner added that the state government has suspended hospital registration and consultation fees.

Akinterinwa said that “Government will reimburse the hospitals directly based on existing data.

He said that Small and Medium Enterprises. Various categories of small and medium enterprises would benefit from the state government’s financial assistance saying that the money to small and medium enterprises would be disbursed through existing government channels.

“Students who are engaged in nano businesses on campus are not excluded.

”They will also get financial support. The money to nano, small, medium enterprises will be disbursed through existing government channels.”