ABUJA, Nigeria — As Nigeria grapples with soaring food prices and the recent petroleum subsidy removal, the Federal Government has greenlit a N5 billion relief fund for each state.
This move enables state governments to purchase and distribute essential food supplies to their economically vulnerable residents.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State made this announcement at the Presidential Villa following Thursday’s National Economic Council, NEC, meeting.
The soaring cost of living, accentuated by the skyrocketing prices of food items and the petroleum subsidy removal, has left many households struggling to meet their basic needs.
The government’s intervention aims to cushion the impact of these economic challenges on its citizens.
In addition to the monetary allocation, Governor Zulum revealed on Thursday, August 17, 2023, that the Federal Government has dispatched five truckloads of rice to every state, providing a timely boost to state grain reserves.
Breaking down the specifics of the relief package, Zulum stated, “The state governors are tasked with procuring 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize, and the necessary fertilizers.”
He further clarified the fiscal arrangement behind this aid: “52% of the funds were dispersed as grants, while the remaining 48% constitutes loans.”
As families across the country anticipate these food distributions, the partnership between state and federal entities signals a collaborative effort to alleviate the hardships facing countless Nigerians during these economically testing times.
Unmasking the N400 Billion Mystery: Advocacy Group Sues Tinubu over Subsidy Removal Spending
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu, seeking details about the N400 billion reportedly saved from the recent removal of the petrol subsidy.
The case follows reports that the Federal Government saved these funds within the first month of the subsidy removal.
In the lawsuit, numbered FHC/L/CS/1514/2023 and filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking several orders of mandamus.
They are asking the court to compel President Tinubu to publish spending details of the saved funds, outline plans for their future use, and disclose mechanisms to prevent diversion into private pockets.
SERAP argues that Nigerians have a right to know how the savings are being spent, asserting that revealing the details would reduce corruption risks.
They maintain that the Tinubu administration is legally bound to ensure that these funds are used solely for the benefit of the country’s poor, who have been most affected by the subsidy’s removal.
The suit, filed on Friday, August 4, 2023, on behalf of SERAP by lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Ms Adelanke Aremo, and Ms Valentina Adegoke, asserts that transparency in the spending of these savings would boost public trust.
They underline the government’s obligations under the Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations to give citizens access to information about government activities.
According to SERAP, the savings could be at risk of misappropriation or embezzlement without proper transparency.
They also point out that the effects of the subsidy’s removal pose a significant threat to the human rights of Nigeria’s poorest citizens.
As of now, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
