The Ondo State Government announced a comprehensive palliative package on Thursday to alleviate the harsh effects of petrol subsidy removal.
Mr. Wale Akinterinwa, the Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Palliative Strategy and Implementation Committee, made the announcement during a news conference in Akure.
Akinterinwa stated that the State Government would restore free shuttle buses for students, starting from their resumption in September until December 31.
Thereafter, the government would charge affordable rates from January 2024. Similarly, the government would provide free shuttle boats with life jackets for students in riverine areas during the same period, followed by affordable rates from January 2024.
He further disclosed that all existing buses in government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) would serve as free shuttle buses for public servants until December 31. Additionally, the government would purchase additional Compressed Natural Gas to transport public servants to and from work at no cost to them until December 31.
The government would also distribute unconditional cash transfers of N10,000 to 1,000 vulnerable individuals per local government in the 18 Local Government Areas, totaling 18,000 people. State and local government pensioners would also receive N10,000 each from August to December.
Furthermore, the government plans to provide food for one million households across the entire local government areas of the state.
It will also offer subsidized farm inputs to farmers and support poultry and fish farmers with free drugs, maize, and feeds. Training on local feed formulation and production will be given to interested poultry and fish farmers.
The palliatives also include agrochemicals, seeds, drip lines, farm tools, and power tillers. In riverine areas, fishing nets and kilns will be offered, and tricycles will be given to communities to ease the movement of farm produce, supervised by officially recognized community-based stakeholder groups.
The State Government also announced the immediate suspension of hospital registration and consultation fees and stated that the government would reimburse hospitals directly based on existing data.
Akinterinwa emphasized that all these provisions are meant to complement the Federal Government’s planned palliatives.
Additionally, the government approved the immediate payment of the 2020 leave bonus to public servants and plans to extend support to various categories of small and medium enterprises in the state. Even students engaged in nano businesses on campus will not be excluded from receiving financial support, which will be disbursed through existing government channels, Akinterinwa explained.