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Subsidy removal: C’River receives FG’s palliatives
Cross River Government says it has received its own share of the palliatives distributed by the Federal Government to all the 36 states of the federation from the National Food Reserve.
Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Rev. James Anam, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Monday.
Anam listed the items received to include: garri, maize and rice.
He stated that while the state got maize and garri from the national food reserve, it received the rice from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
The director-general assured of equitable distribution of the items across the 18 local government areas of the state.
“We received a total of 14,040 bags of 50kg of maize, 3,380 bags of 50kg of garri from the national food reserve, while we received 14,000 bags of 25kg of rice from the federal ministry of agriculture.
“These items were received by the state just last week,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Erasmus Ekpang, has said that a committee that would ensure equitable distribution of the items to the intended recipients was already in place.
Ekpand said unlike before, the committee was an all-inclusive one involving security agencies and other groups, including people living with disabilities.
“The committee comprises personnel of DSS, police, immigration, SEMA, women group, youths as well as people with disabilities.
“In fact, each of the group members will be physically present in all the local government during the distribution, whose date is yet to be determined.
“The essence is to ensure that only those who are meant to receive the palliatives get them,” he said. (NAN)
Another explosion occurred at a pipeline manifold in the Omwawriwa area of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State on Tuesday.
This incident follows a similar explosion that shook the Trans Niger Pipeline, operated by Shell, in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area just hours earlier.
The latest explosion reportedly took place at a manifold connected to a federal pipeline deep within the forest, which transports crude oil to Brass in Bayelsa State.
While the explosion has not yet been officially confirmed, community sources reported seeing massive flames and thick smoke rising from the oil installation in the forest.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, stated that she would investigate the incident but had not provided a response at the time of this report.
A video obtained by our correspondent displays a large fire burning in a remote location.
In a separate development, Ijaw youths blocked the Ahoada section of the East-West Road leading to Bayelsa State on Tuesday in protest.
The demonstrators, numbering over 100, carried placards in solidarity with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara amid his political dispute with the state House of Assembly. Some of the placards read: “We demand Wike’s dismissal as FCT Minister” and “Martin Amaewhule and 26 lawmakers have defected and lost their seats.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the four tax reform bills transmitted to the National Assembly in October 2024 by President Bola Tinubu.
Recall that the House had on Thursday last week, considered and approved the report of the House Committee on Finance which made some recommendations, particularly in controversial areas such as the Value Added Tax and inheritance tax.
While awaiting the Senate to similarly pass the bills, the proposed reforms are expected to be transmitted to the President for his assent in the days ahead.
Details shortly…
Two members of the house of representatives have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, announced the defections in a letter read on the floor of the lower legislative chamber on Tuesday.
More to follow…