The Nigerian Bar Association Gombe Branch has commended President Bola Tinubu for allocating 100 bags of 50kg subsidised rice to the association.
The branch chairman, Barrister Benjamin Sati, lauded the president’s gesture, urging the government to sustain the palliative and invest in key sectors of the economy.
He said, “We were allocated 100 bags of 50kg rice for the Nigerian Bar Association by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“I think it came through the Ministry of Agriculture. You know, we didn’t go to beg. I was just called as chairman of the bar, and we were told 100 bags were allocated to us.”
Sati emphasised the need for transparency in the distribution of the subsidized rice, noting that the involvement of anti-graft agencies, such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ensured that the bags were not diverted.
“EFCC, ICPC officials witnessed the verification and distribution to avoid diversion of the bags set at N40,000,” he said.
However, Sati suggested that the impact of the subsidised rice would be felt if the price were further reduced, adding “If the government will make it N20,000 tomorrow, if I’m fortunate to buy another one, because I’m entitled to buy only one,” he said. “If I buy one with the size of my family, it will be adequate for five months.”
Sati also highlighted the need for the government to do more to address poverty and inequality.
“A reasonable percentage of the country’s population is living below the poverty line; they are living in squalor.
“Government needs to do more. We need more of this kind of intervention. They should do intervention in other areas, such as poverty reduction, training of people, and people should be able to afford bags of rice at N50,000. Then we are making progress,” he added.
The NBA chairman also called for more government intervention in areas such as skill acquisition, illiteracy reduction, and education. “Government should do more in other policies and programmes, such as skill acquisition, illiteracy reduction, and people should be made to go to school,” he added.
