Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has reassured Nigerians concerned about the ongoing increase in the dollar’s value, affirming that the global currency will soon devalue against the Naira.
He noted that the Federal Government is actively working towards fulfilling its electoral promises.
Speaking on Thursday in Abeokuta during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Cultural Center, Governor Abiodun convened the gathering amidst the current economic challenges, emphasizing the government’s unwavering commitment to addressing them.
Drawing confidence from an emergency meeting with Bola Tinubu the previous Wednesday, Abiodun emphasized the federal government’s acknowledgment of the issues and its determination to tackle them directly.
It’s worth noting that Governor Abiodun had previously announced a N5 billion intervention fund during a press briefing last week to alleviate the impact of rising living costs and inflation in the state.
Speaking at the event, Abiodun said, “As our administration acknowledges the concerns raised by many of our citizens regarding the rising food prices and shortages, coupled with the depreciation of the Naira, we identify with you and are taking proactive measures to alleviate the impact of these challenges to guarantee the welfare, well-being and wellness of our citizens in this difficult time.
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“In this direction and through targeted interventions, we aim to address these challenges by implementing a series of phased initiatives aimed at alleviating these burdens on all our citizens.
“The state has taken the following steps: Education Sector: Providing a minimum of 5 exercise books for all 850,000 students in our public primary and secondary schools.
“We are providing a one-time N10,000 education support grant for at least 100,000 pupils in our public primary and secondary schools in the state. Providing all 27,600 indigent students in tertiary institutions nationwide with an education grant of N50,000 each.”
The governor announced plans for his administration to extend health insurance coverage to over 70,000 beneficiaries, encompassing pregnant women, children, the elderly, market women, and individuals in the informal sector.
Pregnant women, covered under the Ibidero Scheme, will receive complimentary prenatal care, an extra N5,000 per birth, and free post-natal care at State Hospitals and Primary Health Care Centers throughout the State. Governor Abiodun also emphasized the distribution of food palliatives, such as rice and other essential items, to approximately 300,000 households across the State.
His words, “The State Government will commence to offset the backlog of inherited deductions. To this end, we are immediately committing N500 million in monthly payments towards outstanding deductions. It is noteworthy that we have continued to pay N10,000 transport allowance to all civil servants for the last 8 months.
“This brings our total immediate interventions as a responsible State Government to about N5 billion across all sectors of the State economy.”
He further promised that his administration would not be insensitive to the challenges being faced by the citizens, appreciating the people for their perseverance, patience and understanding.
“Let me assure you that the present economic situation is just a transient phase that will soon pass. Whatever we experience now are just necessary sacrifices that we have to make towards ensuring a greater tomorrow.
“In a special way, we extend our appreciation to the President and Commander-In-Chief of Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for his continuous efforts in navigating the complexities of our nation’s economic landscape.
“His dedication to steering the ship through turbulent times has not gone unnoticed.”
