Akwa Ibom State government has augmented the 24,000 bags of rice donated by the Federal Government to the state with another 24,000 bags of 25kg to reach more families needing support in the state.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Offiong Offor disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the NIJ Secretariat in Uyo on Friday.
She said the action of the governor was to mitigate the high level of hunger, food unavailability and poverty, adding that instead of engaging in blame games, the governor, Umo Eno called for creative thinking on how people would be lifted out of poverty and engage in developmental endeavours.
Offiong explained that each of the 2,272 gazetted villages in the state will receive 20 bags of rice, adding that the over 100,000 families from the social register who have already received or will soon receive, free food items from the state government through the Bulk Purchase Agency would be captured.
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She further explained that the distribution of the Federal and State Governments’ food intervention will occur at Local Government Council Headquarters, from where Council Chairmen will ensure the safe transportation of the 20 bags to each gazetted village adding that distribution dates will be announced soon.
The statement partly read, “We are currently facing a significant developmental challenge: hunger caused by food insufficiency, unavailability, and inflation. This issue, a direct result of macro-economic factors, poses a challenge to both federal and state governments.
“This intervention aims to mitigate the hardship currently faced by our citizens, reducing extreme hunger and poverty in line with Sustainable Development Goal 1. A hungry populace can lead to unrest, making food availability, affordability, and security a priority for this administration.
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