Niger government has constituted a standing committee for the distribution of palliatives worth N5.2 billion across the 25 local government areas of the state.

Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger disclosed this during a news conference in Minna on Friday.

Mr Bago said that the state government had received N2 billion cash from the federal government with five trucks of rice.

He disclosed that the members of the committee comprised former deputy governors, serving and former Senators and House of Representatives members.

It also includes serving and former permanent secretaries, directors and deputy directors, organised labour, trade unions, civil servants, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), traditional institutions and all the political parties in the state.

He said each local government would get N10 million while Bida, Suleja, Kontagora and Chanchaga would get N20 million each.

Mr Bago said traditional rulers would get N80 million, 110 million for security and logistics, N75 million for internally displaced persons and N150 million for all existing political parties in the state.

He disclosed that the government was expecting 40,000 bags of maize worth N1 billion and an additional N2 billion for distribution to the 274 wards and units across the 25 local government areas in the state.

He said the state government would add N230 million to purchase an additional 10,000 bags of maize, making it 50,000 for distribution to make the commodity go round.

Mr Bago, however, announced that the state government had declared a three-day holiday starting from Sep. 6 to 8 for the distribution of the palliatives.

Mr Bago warned that anyone caught diverting the palliatives would be made to face the law.

“You will go to jail if you are caught diverting the palliatives,” he said.

He added that government decided to add an additional N2 billion to augment the N2 billion received from the federal government, to ensure that everybody got a fair share of the palliatives.

(NAN)