How N5b Palliative Will Likely Be Shared In Abuja – Wike
Nyesom Wike, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory Administration, has said that the N5 billion palliative allocated to the FCT to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal will be primarily used to provide urban mass transportation and food to residents.
Wike, however, noted that a final decision regarding how the money will be shared has yet to be reached.
Wike disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja, following a closed-door meeting with contractors responsible for various projects in the FCT.
“We are yet to decide on what to do with the ₦2billion palliative. We have not chosen any area yet. Are we going to concentrate on food, we are thinking that the issue of transportation is very very important, particularly the urban mass transit.
“People would like to have easy transportation to go to where they want to go, and if you give them rice and they eat the rice today, what about transportation tomorrow?
“So, we have not come up with what actually we are going to use the money for, but I believe food support and transportation is very key,” Wike said.
Recall that the Federal Government had on August 17 announced a ₦5billion palliative for each state of the federation, including the FCT, to cushion the impact of the petrol subsidy removal.
Some state governments have confirmed receiving N2billion while awaiting the remaining N3billion.
Wike had earlier said that the FCT was not included in the disbursement of the N5 billion palliative funds until he wrote a letter informing President Bola Tinubu of the development.
He, subsequently, confirmed that Tinubu approved the amount, noting that other states have received N 2billion already while expressing confidence that the FCTA will equally soon receive its own.
