The Ogun State Government has promised to inject N5billion into different facets of the state economy.
This followed the concerns raised by citizens regarding the increase in food prices and shortages, along with the depreciation of the naira.
This was revealed at a press conference personally addressed by the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Wednesday, in Oke Mosan area of Abeokuta, capital of the state.
Abiodun emphasised that his government identifies with Ogun people amid the current hardship in the country, occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.
He added that the suffering was only for a while, “necessary to help achieve a tomorrow of our dreams.”
The governor stated that his administration was not oblivious nor insensitive to these challenges being faced by the citizens.
According to the Governor,the initiatives planned to relief the burden on the citizens will be implemented in phases and will focus on the following sectors:
Education Sector:
- We will provide a minimum of five exercise books to all 850,000 students in our public primary and secondary schools.
- A one-time education support grant of ₦10,000 will be given to at least 100,000 pupils in our public primary and secondary schools.
- We will provide an education grant of N50,000 each to the 27,600 indigent students in various tertiary institutions nationwide.
Health:
“We will offer insurance health cover to over 70,000 beneficiaries, including pregnant women, children, the elderly, market women, and members of the informal sector.
“More specifically, for pregnant women, under our Ibidero Scheme, we would be providing free pre-natal care, an additional N5,000 per birth and free post-natal care in our State Hospitals and Primary Health Care Centers across the State.
Agriculture:
- Food palliatives, including rice and other food items, will be provided to approximately 300,000 households across the state.
Civil Service:
“We will start clearing the backlog of inherited deductions in the civil service. For this purpose, ₦500 million will be allocated monthly towards outstanding deductions.
“It is important to note that we have been consistently paying a ₦10,000 transport allowance to all civil servants for the past 8 months.
These immediate interventions across all sectors of the state economy amount to approximately ₦5 billion. We are confident that we will overcome this temporary economic situation. The sacrifices we make now are necessary for a better future.
“We would like to express our gratitude to our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his continuous efforts in navigating the complexities of our nation’s economy. We acknowledge his dedication to steering the ship through difficult times, and we appreciate his leadership.”
