The Ondo State Government has announced a palliative package to alleviate the harsh effect of petrol subsidy removal on the people of the state.

The Ondo State Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Palliative Strategy and Implementation Committee, Wale Akinterinwa, who announced the measures at a press conference in Akure, the state capital, on Thursday, August 3, 2023, said the state government would restore free shuttle buses for students, starting from their resumption in September to December 31.

Akinterinwa said: “Thereafter, affordable rates would be charged from January 2024.

“In like manner, free shuttle boats, equipped with life jackets for students in riverine areas, would be provided, starting at resumption in September to December 31.

“Thereafter, affordable rates would be charged from January 2024.

“We will immediately deploy all the existing buses in all the MDAs to serve as free shuttle buses to public servants until December 31.

“Additional Compressed Natural Gas would be purchased to convey public servants to and from work at no cost to them, until December 31.”

He also announced that unconditional cash transfer of N10,000 would be made to 1,000 vulnerable persons per local government in the 18 Local Government Areas, totalling 18,000 people.

Akinterinwa added that all the state and local government pensioners would also receive N10,000 each from August to December.

He said one million households would be fed across the entire local government areas of the state.

The commissioner stated: “Farm inputs at subsidised rates will be made available to farmers.

“Our poultry and fish farmers will be given free drugs, maize, and feeds.

“In addition, training on local feed formulation and production will be given to interested poultry and fish farmers to help them look inwards.”

Akinterinwa said the palliatives also included agrochemicals, seeds, drip lines, farm tools, and power tillers.

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He added: “In riverine areas, fishing nets, and kilns will be on offer.

“To ease the movement of farm produce, tricycles will be given free to communities.

“This will be supervised by officially recognised, community-based stakeholder groups.”

Akinterinwa further announced the immediate suspension of hospital registration and consultation fees, saying: “Government will reimburse the hospitals directly based on existing data.”

The commissioner stated the provisions would help to complement Federal Government’s planned palliatives, adding that the government also approved the immediate payment of 2020 leave bonus to public servants.

Akinterinwa said: “Also, various categories of small and medium enterprises in the state will benefit from the palliatives.

“Students who are engaged in nano businesses on campus are not excluded. They will also get financial support.

“The money to nano, small, medium enterprises will be disbursed through existing government channels.”

The Star