Gombe to begin 3rd-phase distribution of palliatives

The Gombe State government said it would soon commence the third phase distribution of palliatives to vulnerable and other less privileged residents of the state.

The Commissioner for Special Duties, Barrister Mela Audu Nunghe, who is also the Secretary of a Special Committee on Relief and Palliatives, disclosed this to North East Trust.

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He said the committee, chaired by Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, was about to commence the third phase of palliatives distribution when crisis erupted in the country.

According to him, during the first and second phases of the exercise, over 100, 000 households including cooperative and vulnerable groups had benefited across the 11 LGAs of the state.

The commissioner explained that in the first and second phases, the committee distributed the palliatives to Achaba and Keke NAPEP associations, people with disability, religious bodies, widows, and low income earners.

“Also, 50 households in each of the 2, 218 units across the 114 political wards of the state were reached, where each household got a bag of maize, rice, millet, sorghum and vegetable oil among others,” he said.

Barrister Nunghe added that a template for the third phase was ready which is targeted at pensioners, unemployed and other vulnerable groups not reached in the previous phases of the exercise.

He appealed to the public to be patient as the committee has suspended the exercise because of the current situation. He however assured them that the distribution would commence when calm returned.

Meanwhile, the state government has tightened security around its Central Store housing foodstuff provided by federal government and private donors as palliatives for distribution to vulnerable residents of the state.

Our correspondent observed presence of armed soldiers and policemen with their patrol vehicles stationed at the entrance, to prevent attack and destruction by hoodlums.

The presence of the security at the store followed reports from the neighbouring states of hoodlums breaking into government stores and warehouses looting foodstuffs.