Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, has rolled out palliative
measures to cushion the impact of the petrol subsidy removal and the rising
cost of living on the residents of the state.
In a statewide broadcast on Saturday night, Makinde shared
what he called “short-term plans which will play a huge role in alleviating the
effects of the removal of fuel subsidy and the resultant economic difficulties
being faced by our people”.
He said he has given directives that the number of
government buses on various routes in Ibadan, the capital city, should be
increased while commuters would enjoy the reduced fares.
The governor said he has made “wide consultations” and taken
decisions that will benefit the people of the state, adding that the government
decided to use “economic packages to stimulate our economy and bring about
sustainable development”.
“Therefore, the Oyo
state government has resolved to take the following actions tagged sustainable
actions for economic recovery (SAfER),” he said.
“Our SAfER package will ensure a softer landing for the
poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable in our society.
“It will also address the need for food security through
direct intervention to our farmers. Additionally, we shall be making provisions
that will ease the transportation pains of our civil servants and other
residents of Oyo state.”
Makinde said the government has updated the state’s social
register to include 200,000 of the “poorest of the poor” who would be provided
with immediate food relief packages.
“We will be providing health insurance for 100,000 of our
most vulnerable households. We will be paying their one-year health insurance
premium under the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) scheme so that
they have access to quality healthcare without paying out of pocket,” he said.
“The Omituntun bus service will be extended to cover
inter-city routes from Ibadan to all other zones of Oyo state. So, we will have
the buses going from Ibadan to Ibarapa, Ibadan to Ogbomoso, Ibadan to Oke-Ogun
and Ibadan to Oyo.
“The fares will be kept at low rates, while our senior citizens
and students will board the buses at half price.”
PALLIATIVES FOR
FARMERS, YOUTHS
The Oyo governor said 10,000 farmers in the state will get
inputs in addition to support being provided under the World Bank-assisted
OYS-CARES programme.
He added that youth agropreneurs who were trained under the
state’s youth entrepreneurship in agribusiness project (YEAP) and have
established businesses, will receive enterprise support under the SAfER
package.
“We have committed N500 million for this purpose. The
beneficiaries will get further directives on this from the relevant agencies,”
Makinde said.
“We have committed a
further N500 million to assist small businesses to stay afloat through
low-interest-rate loans. Our traders, artisans and other small business
operators can apply for these loans through designated micro-finance banks.”
Makinde further said students of tertiary institutions in
the state will board the government buses at half fare upon showing their
school identity cards.
“We will also be
meeting with their student leaders to agree on further measures which will be
added to the SAfER package for students,” he added.
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