The number of state governments that have unveiled palliatives for their citizens rose yesterday with Lagos, Yobe and Bauchi joining the list.
Top of measures in the three states plans to beef up their bus fleets, reduction of the cost of transport fares and distribution of relief materials.
In Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu slashed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) fares by 50 per cent beginning from tomorrow.
Sanwo-Olu also said that the government had made arrangements with transport unions to reduce their fares by 25 per cent.
The governor told reporters after the state security meeting yesterday, that civil servants’ bus fleet would be increased.
He also said that arrangements had been concluded to provide foodstuffs to vulnerable persons.
Sanwo-Olu said: “The government has reduced transportation fares by 50 per cent on all its vehicles managed by LAMATA. This will take effect from Wednesday. For the informal sector (the yellow buses), they are proposing a 25 per cent reduction in their bus fare by tomorrow or the same Wednesday.
“We have also concluded discussion with stakeholders on foodstuffs to be released to vulnerable persons in the society through the local government, churches and mosques to cushion the effect of the hardship. This will continue until we see the result of these interventions.”
Sanwo-Olu encouraged Lagos residents to be law-abiding as they go about their affairs.
”In the next 30 days, vehicles and security gadgets will be provided to law enforcement officers to improve security,” he added.
Sanwo-Olu’s counterpart in Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni directed the state committee on palliatives to mobilise and distribute relief materials to the poor residents to cushion fuel subsidy removal.
Buni, according to a statement by his Director-General, Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed, also asked the committee to map out a holistic approach to identify areas that required immediate, intermediate, and long-term interventions.
He added that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) had commenced distribution of food materials to people with disabilities.
The governor said that his government would provide more support in critical sectors like transportation, education, empowerment programmes and health care service delivery, among others.
Buni, however, warned that the government would not tolerate any act of sabotage. The Gombe State Government on its part also reduced the fare charged by the Gombe Line Transport Company.
Mr Ismaila Uba-Misilli, Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House, Gombe, said this while responding to a survey on the status of state-owned transport companies.
According to him, the Inuwa Yahaya administration procured 90 buses between 2019 and 2022 to add to the company’s fleet.
He said:” The state government has subsidized transportation fare just as fertilizers and inputs to assist residents and other Nigerians.
” There is a subsidy because Gombe Line charges about N9,000 for passengers traveling to Abuja as against N25,000 charged by commercial vehicle operators, and N13,000 or N14,000 charged by the regular motor parks for the same route.
“This is also part of the palliative measures being rolled out by the government just like the GO-CARES,”
