FORMER Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Austin Tam-George, says that palliatives by the government to unburden the effect of fuel subsidy removal should go beyond distribution of foodstuffs.
Tam-George said this on Monday while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
“I think palliative care should be understood much more in a complex way than simply distributing bread and beans in local governments. I think when we are talking about palliatives this time, it should be institutionally guided,” Tam-George said.
Earlier, The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, had announced the disbursement of palliatives funds on Friday.
Edun had announced that each state would get N5billion.
In response to this, the Ex Commissioner lamented that most states didn’t have proper social welfare systems in place.
Tam-George also noted that these palliatives from the government, in terms of bread and beans and other basic commodities, were merely temporary cushions.
“In most states, the Ministry of Social Welfare is not very strong.
“So, maybe we have an opportunity now in the final analysis to make sure that we institutionalize the distribution of these palliatives.
“I would personally prefer the palliatives are not sent in the form of food because that’s not sustainable with seeing that repeatedly across history.
“What I think is that the palliatives – five billion naira I understand they are about to send to the states – should be invested in primary health care delivery systems.
“We should be invested in education, we should be invested in visible sustainable projects rather than simply giving a few packages of beans and noodles to families as we see are not sustainable,’’ Tam-George pointed out.
