Ogun Gov. to Dole Out N5bn Intervention Fund to Tackle State Hardship

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has announced a N5 billion intervention fund to cushion the effect of the rising cost of living and inflation in the state.

Addressing journalists at the Olusegun Osoba Press Centre, Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Wednesday, Mr Abiodun said the fund would cover education, health, workers’ deduction and food palliative.

“As our administration acknowledges the concerns raised by many 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.

“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,” he said.

The governor listed some of the steps taken to cushion the hardship to include the provision of a minimum of five exercise books for all 850,000 students in 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. We are also providing all 27,600 indigent students in tertiary institutions nationwide with an education grant of N50,000 each,” the governor added.

He said his administration would provide insurance health cover for over 70,000 beneficiaries to include pregnant women, children, the elderly, market women and other members of the informal sector.

Pregnant women, under the Ibidero Scheme, would also be provided free pre-natal care, an additional N5,000 per birth and free post-natal care in the State Hospitals and Primary Health Care Centres.

Mr Abiodun disclosed that provision would be made for food palliatives to include rice and other food items for about 300,000 households across the state.

“The State Government will commence to offset the backlog of inherited deductions. To this end, we are immediately committing N500 million 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 economy,” the governor stated.

While saying that his administration would not be insensitive to the challenges being faced by the citizens, Mr Abiodun expressed gratitude to them 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, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 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,” he added.