The Ekiti state government has commenced a monthly disbursement of N5,000 each to 7,000 vulnerable individuals in the State.
The government said the payment was for a period of five months as part of efforts to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.
The state commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, who made this known in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, reiterated Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration’s commitment to poverty alleviation and improvement of the living conditions of people in the State, particularly the most vulnerable.
Olatunbosun added that the payment of the same amount of N5,000 each will soon commence to another 3,000 vulnerable persons also for five months, making a total of N25,000 per beneficiary for 10,000 beneficiaries.
He explained that the list of the 10,000 beneficiaries drawn from all communities in the State was mined from the Social Register in the Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Performance Management with at least one recipient from each community across the State.
The Commissioner listed the categories of beneficiaries to include ” 559 people living with disabilities; 3,065 widows with at least one dependant; 1,101 elders above 65 years old, 1,153 youths with at least one dependant and 1,122 randomly selected people.”
He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the intervention to cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal and improve their livelihood, adding that the government would continue to fashion out policies, programmes and activities that would positively impact on the lives of people in the State.