A total of 26,619 people are to benefit from the Phase 2 of palliatives distribution kick-started by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D in Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, over the weekend.
This brings the total number of beneficiaries for the Speaker’s palliatives programme between September and now to 41,619.
The Speaker had in September, while marking his 100 days in office, distributed bags of rice to 15,000 of his constituents, under the Phase 1 of his palliatives programme to ease the difficulties caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.
The Emir of Zazzau, His Royal Highness, Amb. Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli, CFR, flagged off the Phase 2 of the Speaker’s palliatives distribution at the Emir’s Palace in Zaria over the weekend.
The Deputy Chief of Staff to the Speaker (Administration), Engr. Jamil Ahmad Muhammad, led other officials for the distribution of the foodstuffs, which included rice, millet, maize, and guinea corn. The exercise will last up to Tuesday.
The breakdown of the beneficiaries showed that a total of 2,105 primary school teachers and 1,715 of their counterparts in secondary schools in Zaria Federal Constituency would benefit from the programme.
It further indicated that 301 village heads within the federal constituency were among the beneficiaries of the Phase 2 of the Speaker’s palliatives distribution.
Additionally, 12,000 persons from groups that comprised of Qur’an reciters, merchants, Al-Raihan Du’a Forum, Ina Mafita, Naka Sai Naka, motorcycle mechanics, mobile phone dealers, car wash operators, vulcanizers, forums of football coaches, Okada riders, tricycle operators, Taskira, Arewa Youth, APC Youth Ambassadors, people living with disabilities, orphans, women groups, among many others, were selected to benefit.
There were also 8,592 religious leaders such as imams and their deputies as well as Muazzins (those that call to prayer) and their deputies from sects such as Izala, Darika and Salafiya.
A total of 265 persons across 53 churches as well as 200 bishops, officials of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Sarkin Wusasa, among others, also benefited.
Furthermore, 363 Islamic schools and 238 Qur’anic boarding schools teachers with 200 volunteers from Izala, Darika and Hisba were among the beneficiaries.
The palliatives would also reach 640 security personnel working within the Zaria Federal Constituency.
The Phase 3 of the Speaker’s palliatives distribution, to be held on a yet to be announced date, will target over 20,000 beneficiaries.