by The National Emergency Management Agency has handed over 24,180 bags of 50kg maize and 5,828 bags of 25kg garri to Akwa Ibom State Government for onward distribution to vulnerable persons in the state.
The Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, disclosed this during the handing over of the food items to the state government in Uyo on Wednesday.
Umar, who was represented by Akwa Ibom Head of Operations, Mrs Mmandu Aisueni, said the exercise was in fulfillment of President Bola Tinubu’s promise to reduce the impact of current economic hardship in the country.
She said that the commodities should be shared in the communities through constituted Committees in each local government.
She also directed that membership of the committee in each LGA should be made up of the Chairman of the Council, State Emergency Management Agency, and a traditional ruler, among others.
The DG explained that 20 per cent of the food items due for each LGA should be given to religious organisations (JNI & CAN) and three per cent to be given to boarding schools in the LGAs, stressing that each LGAs should receive equal items.
“Mr President approved the release of 42, 000MT of assorted food commodities from the National Strategic Reserve under the Custody of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMoA&FS).
“The assorted food commodities include; maize, millet, sorghum, and garri. After sharing the commodities and successfully transporting the quantities allocated to Akwa Ibom State.
“Today, we are here to hand over the food items to the State Government for distribution to the deserving beneficiaries in the communities through the constituted Committees in each LGA.
“It is worthy of note that based on the allocation table, Akwa Ibom State has been allocated: 1, 209 MT of maize (24,180 bags of 50kg) 145.1 MT of garri (5, 828 bags of 25kg),” Umar said.
The state commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Offiong Offor, who received the items on behalf of the government thanked Tinubu for his interventions.
Offor added that the intervention would mitigate the impact of the high cost of food items in the country.
She promised that the state government would ensure the food items get to the appropriate beneficiaries.
