Just a few days into Ramadan, the Zamfara government says it has spent at least N2.9 billion to provide “essential commodities,” which most likely include foodstuffs, to residents.

This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, in a statement, he issued in Gusau on Sunday.

He said the chairman of the essential commodities committee for distribution, who is also the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Nasiru Magarya, assured that the gesture would go round the state.

He revealed that, already, the speaker had set up various committees to ease the distribution.

Mr Dosara further stated that the 450 truckloads of the welfare package contained rice, millet, maize, beans, sugar, and milk were distributed to the less privileged, internally displaced persons, civil servants, and others.

“The aim is to help in reducing the hardships being faced by people and to enable them to conduct the Ramadan fast with relative ease and happiness.

“In order to ensure equity, fairness, and justice in the distribution exercise, the governor has ordered for the formation and or constitution of committees at both state, local government, ward, and polling unit levels with members drawn from the political class, labour, traditional and religious leaders,” he explained.

He noted that the various committees were cautioned against hoarding the commodities for personal use.

The government provided contact numbers 08089036555, 08037754225, 08067234742, and 08062703232 for complaints regarding the distribution.

According to the Zamfara government, the commodities include 60,000 bags of rice, 50,000 bags of millet, 50,000 bags of maize, 30,000 bags of beans, 10,000 bags of sugar, and cartons of milk.

The statement pointed out that they were different from the consignment allocated for workers, orphans, people with special needs, internally displaced persons, imams, Quranic schools, and other relevant organisations.

(NAN)