Jigawa government approved the immediate release of the sum of N4,015,024,950 for the payment of registration fees of the state’s indigenes undergraduate students studying at four universities.
This was disclosed by the state commissioner for information, youths, sports and culture, Mr Sagir Musa while briefed newsmen on the outcome of the State executive council meeting presided over by governor Malam Umar Namadi.
The commissioner explained that the said amount also covered the sum of over N3.8 billion for procurement of assorted grains for distribution as palliative to the poor and vulnerable across the state.
According to him “The State Executive Council during its deliberation approved an additional N3,848,000,000.00 for the procurement of food items for distribution across the 27 LGAs in the state as a measure to reduce hardship caused by the fuel subsidy removal.
“The council has approved the procurement of 70 trucks of rice (each truck with 600 bags), millet and maize 54 trucks (each truck with 600 bags) and 1,000 cartons of spaghetti for distribution in the state through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) totaling of the sum of N3,848,000,000.00 only.”
He maintained that the procurement is jointly financed by Federal, State and 27 Local Government councils.
The commissioner further disclosed that the council has also approved over N167 million for the payment of registration fees of the state undergraduate students studying different courses at Federal University Dutse, Bayero University, Kano, Kano State University of Science and Technology and University of Maiduguri.
He explained that the gesture aimed at assisting low-income parents to cope with the increased registration fees for their children studying at the four universities.
The commissioner added that in an attempt to promote agricultural development and ensure increased food production in the state, the council has also approved the loan of N1 billion to Jigawa Agricultural Supply Company (JASCO) to support the procurement of 54 units of tractors for the benefits of farmers in the state.
Musa further stated that the loan approved for the procurement of the tractors was aimed at supporting the local farmers in the state access to Tractors Hiring Services (THS) that may be reintroduced through the Local Government Areas of the state to promote mechanized farming.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNEÂ
and then