Shagari urges transparency in Sokoto subsidised grain sales

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A former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State Mukhtar Shehu Shagari has commended the state government for the ongoing sale of grains at subsidised prices, describing the initiative as a timely intervention to ease the impact of rising food prices on residents.

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Shagari, in a statement issued by his media aide, Musa Ubandawaki, said the programme demonstrated the government’s responsiveness to the economic difficulties confronting households, particularly low-income families.

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He noted that the availability of grains at affordable prices would help reduce the burden of food inflation and provide relief to vulnerable residents across the state.

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“The initiative is a timely and strategic response to the economic hardship confronting households across the country,” Shagari said.

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He also commended the committee set up by the state government as led by former Deputy Governor Alhaji Chuso Abdullahi Dattijo for its efforts towards ensuring that the intervention benefits residents.

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Shagari, however, called for strict transparency and accountability in the distribution and sale of the subsidised grains.

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He urged officials entrusted with the exercise to regard their responsibilities as a public trust and ensure that the commodities reached the people for whom they were intended.

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According to him, “Any attempt to divert, hoard, manipulate or unfairly distribute the commodities would defeat the fundamental objective of the government’s intervention.”

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The former deputy governor also called on the state government to strengthen its monitoring mechanisms to ensure equitable distribution of the grains across the 23 local government areas.

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Thus, Shagari urged traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders to assist in ensuring that the intervention reached genuine beneficiaries.

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He further appealed to residents participating in the sales exercise to remain patient and orderly, stressing that the programme was designed to provide relief to as many households as possible.

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He described the subsidised grain sales as a commendable social intervention that could provide immediate relief to families while longer-term measures to improve agricultural production, food supply and economic opportunities were pursued.

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Shagari further urged the government to maintain effective oversight throughout the exercise, expressing optimism that transparent and judicious implementation would significantly ease the hardship faced by families in the state.

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