The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has said that the 1200 bags of rice made available to him by the Presidency as palliatives for grassroots will be channelled to only the aged in the state.
Alake made the disclosure in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, made available in Ado Ekiti on Sunday.
The minister said, “Following the decision of the Presidency to respond to the yearnings of the Nigerian people to make more food available at the grassroots, 1,200 bags were made available to each minister to further supplement the established channels of distribution such as state governments and civic organisations.”
He said that the 1200 bags made available to him “will be channelled to the aged only”, adding, “We need to reach out to our aged fathers and mothers at times like this to demonstrate the Omoluabi values of taking care of the old in the community.
“In the spirit of inclusion, it is important that we channel this intervention to mainly elderly citizens who do not have the strength to compete for welfare goods such as these at the established centres. We have taken their inventory and we are delivering to them.
“Subsequent interventions will target other segments of the populace such as widows, orphans, persons living with disabilities and students in higher institutions of learning,” Alake said.
He enjoined all public-spirited Ekiti people to lend a hand to the needy, adding that all hands must be on deck to support all efforts to rid the state of hunger and poverty.
Punch
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