Some States of the Federation have taken measures to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal announced by President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023.
The removal of the subsidy on petrol immediately led to a hike in the pump price of the product, with attendant food inflation, soaring transportation costs and rising cost of living.
Recently, the pump price of petrol rose from an average of N500 per litre to N617 per litre at some dispensing stations.
Some of the measures include the reduction of workdays, cash transfer programmes, provision of mass transit buses at reduced costs, and the payment of outstanding liabilities of public servants, including pensioners.
Below are some of the states that have provided palliative.
KWARA
In June, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State directed the reduction of workdays from five to three to cushion the high transportation cost on public servants but later suspended the directive.
On July 24, the governor also approved cash support of N10,000 for every public servant in the state, beginning from July.
The governor also approved the payment of new hazard and skipping allowances, and “100 percent CONMESS for consultants and medical doctors under our government’s payroll”.
He also said modalities for occasional distribution of food to poor and most vulnerable households would be activated.
EDO
Also, the Edo state government, on June 6, reduced work days for its civil servants from five to three.
Governor Godwin Obaseki said the state is working on deepening an initiative to create more virtual classes in order to reduce the cost of commuting by parents, teachers and pupils to schools.
Obaseki also assured workers that the government will continue to pay N40,000 as minimum wage and hope to increase the amount.
OYO
In June, Governor Seyi Makinde directed the deployment of more state mass transit buses to ease transportation costs for residents of the state.
Makinde also directed that the bus fare should not be increased for residents, and that school children and senior citizens should be allowed to board the buses at half the prices.
The governor also said a committee has been set up to draft out modalities for the proposed increase of the salaries of civil servants.
OGUN
Also, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State announced the payment of N10,000 cash palliative to all civil servants and pensioners for three months.
He also approved the payment of hazard allowance for all health and medical personnel in the state as well as peculiar allowance for civil servants.
Other palliative measures include the commencement of food distribution to the vulnerable, distribution of fertilisers and other farm inputs to farmers at subsidised and controlled prices.
The governor also ordered the payment of March and April 2023 leave bonuses for public servants and the immediate release of letters of promotion in respect of 2021 and 2022.
IMO
The Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma, announced N40,000 as the new minimum wage for civil servants in the state.
According to the governor, the minimum wage increase was to reduce the impact on workers regarding the removal of fuel subsiies.
Uzodinma also said his government is planning to provide the free Coaster bus transit that would convey workers from home to office and back to their houses.
