By Lizzy Adewumi
Nigeria Union of pensioners NUP, Ekiti State has distributed hundred bags of rice received from the State government to vulnerable members of the union across the sixteen local Governments of the State.
The distribution follows the three thousand bags of rice donated to the state by Federal Government to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
Distributing the rice to the Local Government Executive members of the union, NUP Chairman in Ekiti State, Comrade Joel Akinola appreciated Governor Biodun Oyebanji for capturing them in the first batch of the palliative.
According to him, the Union has been ordered by the Governor to distribute the palliative to only vulnerable pensioners at the local levels, adding that, a fresh palliative would be distributed later for all members.
Revealing the distribution format, Comrade Akinola promised to promote equitable distribution of the rice to strategic areas as mapped out in the plan, hence, imploring members of the Union to be transparent in the process.
“I want to implore all of us to be sincere and transparent to achieve equitable distribution of this rice. Have it in mind that all of us present here are not vulnerable, the vulnerable ones are at home.
“I hereby, implore us all to be patriotic and sincere in delivering these packages to the pensioners at the grassroot level. This is just part of the palliative, the next will certainly be ours, but this is for the vulnerables amongst us”, he noted.
The NUP Chairman highlighted the sharing formula as, Ado 8, Ikere 6, Ikole 6, Oye 6, Irepodun/Irepodun 6, Ekiti West 6, Ijero 6, Ido-Osi 6, Moba 5, Ise 5, South West 5, Enure 5, Gbonyin 5, Ekiti East 5, Efon 5, Ilejemeje 4.
Parastatals are; Water 3, Sport 2 BSES 2, Electricity 2, Housing 2.
He said, “Some of us are no longer capable of going to the market, but with this palliative, though, it cannot solve all our problems, at least it would give us some hope.
“We want to thank the Government for this and we promise to make sure that the rice get to the vulnerable ones amongst us, especially those who are finding it difficult to survive.”