Reps issue ultimatum to assess delivery of palliative intervention nationwide

Published: February 21, 2024

Members of the House of Representatives protested on Wednesday against the delay in the delivery of palliatives across the country.

The lawmakers expressed their concerns during the debate on a motion on the ‘Need for palliative interventions at Illela in Sokoto State’, sponsored by Hon. Isah Bello Ambarura.

Concerned by the prolonged delay in the delivery of the palliative promised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to all the 360 federal constituencies of the Federation, the lawmakers urged that the motion be extended to all 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In his lead debate, Hon. Ambarura observed that Illela is a major border town in Sokoto State with proximity to the Republic of Niger.

“The House also notes that in 2023, the Federal Government announced the removal of fuel subsidies, causing an astronomical hike in the price of petroleum products across the country.

“The House is concerned that with the resultant inflation as a fallout of the subsidy removal, the people of Illela have been worst hit, especially after the collapse of socio-economic activities caused by the closure of the Illela border by the Federal Government as part of the sanctions against the military junta in the Republic of Niger.

“The House is worried that the Illela’s people are facing unbearable living conditions daily without humanitarian aid, struggling to feed themselves, and losing livelihoods due to harsh economic realities.

“The House is also worried that since the announcement by the Federal Government on the distribution of palliatives to cushion the effects of subsidy removal, the people of Illela have been consistently neglected, without any apparent intervention to alleviate their sufferings,” he noted.

In the bid to address the concerns raised by the lawmakers, the House tasked the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to, as a matter of urgency, provide palliative interventions to the people of Illela, Sokoto State, to enable them to revive their businesses and earn a decent living.

Hence, the House mandated its Committee on Poverty Alleviation to ensure compliance and report back within three weeks for further legislative action.

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