Babatope Okeowo 
The Ondo State government is set to spend N7 billion as palliatives to cushion the removal of subsidy from the petroleum product by the Federal Government.
The Chairman of the Palliative Strategy and Implementation Committee, Mr Wale Akinterinwa said the palliatives included the distribution of food to one million households in the state, free shuttle buses to civil servants and students and unconstitutional cash transfer to vulnerable people in the society.
Flanked by other members of the committee including the Commissioner for Information, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Victor Amoko and Head of Service (HOS), Mr Ogundele, the committee announced the return of shuttle buses for students and the introduction of free buses to civil servants in the state.
Akinterinwa said the government would restore free shuttle buses for students starting from resumption in September, till December 31, thereafter, affordable rates would be charged from January 2024.
He said free shuttle boats equipped with life jackets for students in riverine areas starting at resumption in September, till December 31st and affordable rates would be charged from January 2024.
On social intervention, the Committee said “unconditional cash transfer for three months, ten thousand Naira will be given to selected vulnerable persons in every local government.”
His words “all pensioners in the state, be they local government or state, will get ten thousand Naira each starting this August till December 2023.
“Free food packages will be distributed to one million households across the 18 local governments of the state.
“For three months, ten thousand Naira will be given to one thousand vulnerable persons per local government. This will benefit 18,000 people in total for three months. All pensioners in the state, be they local government or state, will get ten thousand Naira starting this August.”
In the agriculture sector, Akinterinwa said farm inputs at subsidized rates would be made available to farmers, while poultry and fish farmers would be given free drugs, maize, and feeds for their birds and fishes.
His words “To ease the movement of farm produce, tricycles will be given free to farming communities. This will be supervised by officially recognized, community-based stakeholder groups.
“The state government has authorized immediate suspension of haulage fee collection on all non-graded agricultural produce. These are produce that are consumed locally and not for export.”
The government announced the immediate suspension of hospital registration and consultation fees. It said the government would reimburse the hospitals directly based on existing data.
The government said there would be provision of free shuttle buses to civil servants while there would be immediate payment of the 2020 leave bonus to public servants.
