The Adamawa state government has taken delivery of 10 luxurious buses ordered from Innoson Motors at the cost of N1.6 billion as part of efforts to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
The state government has also purchased 50 trucks of rice equivalent to 1500 metric tonnes in addition to 5 trucks of rice given to the state by the federal government to be distributed across the 21 local government areas and 226 electoral wards in the state.
This disclosure was made by the chairman state palliative distribution and coordination committee who is also the Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Awwal Tukur at a press conference in Yola, Wednesday, after a strategic meeting of the committee.
He explained that the distribution of the food items will be carried out in all the 226 electoral wards in the state and is targeted at the most vulnerable members of the society including orphans, widows, people leaving with disabilities and other less privileged and disadvantaged groups.
According to him, the 50 trucks of rice purchased by the state government will be divided into 25kg bags and sold to the public at a subsidised rate of N10,000 instead of N 20,000 sold at the open market to bring succour to the people.
The SSG further noted that, the decision to sell the rice purchased by the state government to the people at a subsidised rate instead of giving it free of charge is to allow government recover part of the money, augment it and purchase more to benefit more people.
Tukur added that the state government is also looking at other areas of needs, explaining that in view of the patronage of Innoson Motors, the company has agreed to established one of their plants in the state so as to train the people on how to repair their vehicles which will provide employment opportunity to citizens.