Kaduna government plans palliatives for 1m vulnerable, Kaduna senior citizens – Blueprint Newspapers Limited

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state has disclosed that one million and fifty thousand poor, widows, orphans, elderly and vulnerable citizens of the state representing 210,000 households are to benefit from the immediate palliative plans in the state.

Speaking while rolling out the state government’s palliative plans in Kaduna, Governor Sani said the state has received the first tranche of N2 billion out the N5 billion promised by the federal government.

He said in the medium and long term, the state plans to roll out free transportation and revival of the abandoned locomotive train system in the state, to run from Zaria through Kaduna to Kafanchan.

According to him, “We are target about one million and fifty thousand poor and vulnerable citizens, representing 210,000 households. 

“The Federal Government promised to give state N5 billion, which will serve as both grant and loan, but as of today, N2 billion has been given to Kaduna state and that is what we are using right now to come up with something for the poor, underserved and vulnerable in our state, who have been suffering the removal of the fuel subsidy.

The Committee headed by the deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, which has all the labour unions, market women, people with disabilities represented, sat down and worked out the modalities on how we will spend the N2 billion, and the outcome of their deliberation is as follows: 

“We have agreed collectively with the support of all the unions to buy 43,000 bags 50kg rice, which translates to one billion, nine hundred and thirty-five million naira. The N65 million balance will be used to support the logistics of people with disabilities, the widows and the IDPs that live in the internally displaced camps in Kaduna.

“In the interim, we are focusing on persons with disabilities, widows, elderly, orphans IDPs that are living in camps in Kaduna state, as well as other people we believe from the reports from the trade unions deserve to also be included in the first phase of our palliative intervention.”