This investigation by Alaba Adeyemi of Development News Nigeria (DNN) reveals the poor implementation and mismanagement of the Federal Government fuel subsidy palliative program by the Ondo State Government, resulting in widespread dissatisfaction and failure to alleviate the suffering of the people.
The inaugural speech of President Bola Tinubu sent shock waves throughout the country, as he unexpectedly announced the end of the fuel subsidy regime. The resultant effect of the president’s “subsidy is gone” statement on the 29th of May 2023 led to an astronomical increase in the price of food and transportation across Nigeria. The Federal Government subsequently announced measures aimed at cushioning the effect of the fuel subsidy removal. One such move is the dolling out of N5 billion and trucks of rice to each state of the federation.
On 4th August 2023, the Ondo State Government announced what it intended to do. It promised to feed one million households, reintroduce free shuttle buses for students and civil servants, introduce CNG buses, free registration cards for government hospitals, and release grains and feeds to poultry farmers.
Shoddy Implementation
DNN monitored the reintroduction of the free school shuttle buses. The buses were reintroduced when schools resumed in September 2023. The buses were not punctual, and complaints of lateness were made by some parents. That of the civil servants also suffered the same fate.
Investigation showed that the buses were only functional in major towns (Akure, Owo, Ikare, Owo, Ondo, Idanre) leaving vast rural dwellers to fend for themselves. Some civil servants in Akure do not use it, out of their free will. A civil servant who spoke to this journalist stated that the buses take time before departure from designated bus stops.
Sola Falaye, a civil servant explained that he only uses the bus once in a while because he may go late to work.
He said “You know the bus has to wait until it is full before it can move, I don’t have much patience.”
CNG buses were promised to be available before December 2023, but up till the end of March 2024 the buses have not been introduced in the state. Segun Emmanuel, the Public Relations Officer of the National Automobile Technician Association (NATA) Zone C, Akure South told DNN they saw nothing but political infighting within the government.
He said, “While other states were giving palliatives to their residents the people in government spent the whole period fighting each other and attempts to remove the deputy governor, we didn’t see anything, it’s all audio.”
Another promise made by the government was to provide free registration cards for government-owned hospitals. However, at some of the hospitals and health centers visited by this reporter, some obeyed the free registration card policy while others charged. A health worker at General Hospital Alade Idanre local government who pleaded anonymity said “I learned that the registration card is free for a while but when there is no remission of funds from the state government who ordered it, the general hospital in the whole 18 local governments of Ondo state, then the hospital stopped giving out cards for free because there is no money to print out new cards.”
At the Basic Health Centre in Abusoro Ijoka in Akure, this journalist was treated without a registration card.
On the promise to provide food items for one million households, the State fell short. The modalities for sharing the food items were shrouded in secrecy.
August 16 2023, 12 days after the government announced the palliatives plan it couldn’t provide accurate figures. Wale Akinterinwa, former Ondo state Commissioner of Finance and Chairman of the Palliative Committee blamed the Federal Government for the slow distribution of the food items and said it did not deliver on its promise to give the state 81,000 bags of rice.
“The state is expecting 81,000 bags of rice from the Federal Government but only 3,000 bags have so far been delivered. The Ondo State government had ordered the purchase of an additional 3,000 bags of rice, making 6,000 bags that are ready for distribution to vulnerable residents of the state.”
About 1200 bags were reported to have been given to the 18 local government areas. Each Commissioner was asked to take charge of distribution in his or her locality.
However, pictures of bags of rice with the face of Wale Akinterinwa being distributed in Ile Oluji surfaced on social media.
In Arigidi Akoko Akoko North-west Local Government, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Bunmi Osadahun, and the APC Chairman of her ward, Olumide Awolumate physically exchanged blows over the sharing of the food as the Chairman claimed members of his party at the ward were excluded. DNN witnessed the sharing of 10 bags of rice sent to Breeze 91.9 Fm Akure, a move considered to be an attempt to create an impression that the palliatives got to everyone, two of the bags were already spoiled and unfit for consumption. Other media outlets in Akure also benefited. DNN also spoke to leaders of artisan and religious groups, and none of them admitted to receiving any cash or food as palliatives from the Ondo State Government.
Subsidised poultry feeds to farmers across the state between August and December 2023 was another failed promise DNN uncovered.
In April 2024 some days after the primary election of the APC, Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa announced the release of 1200 metric tonnes of poultry feed to poultry farmers. A few days later, Olawande Fadipe, the leader of the Ondo State Poultry Farmers Association announced that the association had slashed the cost of a crate of egg from N5,000 to N3,000.
DNN investigation showed that the claim about slashing the price of eggs was false, there was no time a crate of eggs was sold for as high as N5,000 from poultry farms in Ondo State. The highest price was N3,800 and this was in 2023. Currently, it is sold between N3500 – N3800. Ondo State palliatives program failed to meet the expectations of the people nor did it alleviate their suffering.
This report was produced with support from Civic Media Lab.