The federal government has released over 700 metric tonnes of grains to Ekiti as part of measures to mitigate the effects of astronomic increases in the prices of food commodities.

The state’s deputy governor, Monisade Afuye, said this during the handing over of the grains by National Emergency Management (NEMA) on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti.

Ms Afuye received the items on behalf of Governor Biodun Oyebanji and said the grains, principally maize and garri, would be distributed to the vulnerable groups.

She said the items comprised 12,000 bags of maize and 3,008 bags of garri.

The deputy governor lauded President Bola Tinubu and Mr Oyebanji for their partnership, which yielded enormous dividends for the Ekiti people.

“The state government recently distributed 20,000 bags of rice and garri, not just to the vulnerable, through their respective wards, faith-based societies and even civil servants.

“The governor also approved certain funds for victims of fire accidents as collated by the State Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),” Ms Afuye.

She assured that the government would distribute the items to the target population.

NEMA’s director general, Zubaida Umar, said a total of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains, comprised of rice, garri, sorghum, and millets, had so far been released by Mr Tinubu’s government to 36 states for this purpose.

Ms Umar, represented by NEMA’s South-West zonal director, Stephen Adewale, stated that the federal government was aware of the negative effects of the current economic hardship, hence the gesture.

She said the food items would be shared equally to all the local councils in Ekiti.

“Based on the directives of Mr President, 20 per cent of the food items due for each LGA should be given to religious organisations, and three per cent to be given to boarding schools,” he said.

(NAN)