The Chairman of the Jigawa State Social Protection Programme (JISOP), Comrade Shuaibu Musa Kafingana, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Malam Umar Namadi for their food assistance program benefiting over 28,000 people in the state.
In a statement issued, signed, and made available to the Online Tribune in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, the Chairman praised the efforts of both the federal and state governments in distributing palliatives to about 30,000 people in the state.
According to the statement, “The disbursement of the food items comes at a very opportune time, as many less privileged individuals are struggling with the high cost of food, and some have been affected by flood disasters.”
Comrade Shuaibu Musa Kafingana added that “Another impressive aspect of the program is the content of the package for each beneficiary, which includes one 25kg bag of rice, 12 pieces of spaghetti, and one 10kg bag each of maize and sorghum or millet. It is indeed substantial.”
The Chairman observed and advised the government to extend the distribution beyond party affiliates, ensuring that only the deserving individuals benefit from the assistance.
“We want this type of distribution to reach beyond party stalwarts. Many people in Jigawa are currently living below the poverty line, earning approximately less than N3,000.00 per day,” he emphasized.
The JISOP Chairman further noted that “A survey released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in 2022 and 2023 indicated that 133 million Nigerians are living below the poverty line, earning less than $2 per day.”
The statement also revealed that “Poverty rankings by the NBS and World Bank place Jigawa at 87.02%, making it the third highest after Taraba and Sokoto States.”
“Part of the problem is that deserving individuals are often overlooked in many government poverty alleviation and empowerment programs due to the actions of politicians and officials handling the implementation,” he added.
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He further advised the government to ensure justice and fairness in every program by strictly targeting deserving individuals to achieve the desired objectives.
It should be noted that Governor Umar Namadi today flagged off the distribution of food items donated by the federal and state governments to the people of Jigawa State.
Governor Namadi announced that the federal government has provided 24,000 bags of rice, 11,885 bags of millet, and 4,860 bags each of sorghum and millet.
He stated that the state government has provided 13,500 cartons of spaghetti, 5,000 bags of rice, and 5,100 bags each of millet and sorghum, which will be distributed to needy households and vulnerable groups in the community.
Namadi noted that over 100 people in each of the 287 political wards in the state will benefit from the distribution exercise, adding that the initiative aims to alleviate the current economic hardship.