The Borno government has distributed food items to 100,000 vulnerable families in Maiduguri to mitigate the economic hardship being faced by the people.
Gov. Babagana Zulum, who inaugurated the food distribution exercise on Wednesday in Maiduguri, said the beneficiaries were vulnerable families drawn from Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.
He said the government considered the beneficiaries because they had not been benefiting from previous palliatives designed for people affected by the crisis in other parts of the state.
“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of the hardship currently faced by Nigerians, and we have been battling with insurgency for 13 years, and wherever there is insurgency, there must be a food crisis because people may not have the opportunity to cultivate their crops.
“This informed the decision of the Borno State Government to provide medication to the displaced communities of Borno State since 2010,” he said.
According to Zulum, the gesture has no political or religious affiliations, adding that the beneficiaries were selected from all sections of society without bias.
Zulum warned mischief makers hiding under the guise of the current situation to cause havoc and civil unrest, stressing that his administration would not condone laxity and indifference by self-seeking elements trying to sabotage the government
“Few days ago, we heard some people saying they wanted to go to the bush because of hardship. What we are doing might not be enough, but as a responsible government, we shall continue to do our best to cushion the effect of the hardship
“Some are trying to incite the people so that they can riot. We shall not accept it; the government is doing everything necessary to provide medication.
“Anybody who tries to take the laws into his hands deliberately or to instigate people to politicize the worldwide food crisis, the government will deal with that person,” he said.
He also announced plans by the state government to invest in commercial agriculture and irrigation activities to support the livelihood of the people.
Zulum said the federal government had rolled out farming programmes through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, adding that the project would go a long way in providing medium- and long-term sustainable solutions. (NAN)
