BY: News Peddlers
.jpeg) |
| Governor Nasir El-Rufai |
The Kaduna government says free medical and transportation services will be introduced to help residents deal with the effects of the naira note shortage.
Muyiwa Adekeye, the governor's special adviser on media and communication, announced the news in a statement on Tuesday.
The meeting was held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, and attendees included Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai, the state security council, and other stakeholders.
Adekeye stated that the state security council discussed measures to ensure violence-free elections as well as the impact of naira scarcity on residents during the meeting.
“The meeting discussed the cash crunch, and its severe impact on citizen welfare, trade and economic activities. It noted reports that managing the situation has necessitated the diversion of some security personnel from vital field operations to guarding key financial assets,” he said.
“The council commended the security agencies for strengthening the state government’s efforts to ensure that citizens remain calm, peaceful and of lawful conduct amidst the challenges.
“The security council took recommendations on ways of mitigating the impact of the cash shortage on citizens. These measures are designed to provide a measure of immediate relief to the problems caused by the lack of cash by citizens to pay for services like transportation and health care, and necessities like food.
“The council, therefore, adopted these three emergency palliative measures to last for a week, starting from Wednesday, 22nd of February 2023.
“The Kaduna state government will provide free transport services along designated routes in Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria, the three biggest cities in the state. This will be done in partnership with the transport unions, who will provide the buses and tricycles.
“The Kaduna state public health system will offer free routine care in government hospitals for common illnesses like malaria and typhoid. This is in addition to the free care for pregnant women and children younger than five years that has been government policy since 2015.
“Prescriptions will be given, and the health facility visited will administer drugs, if available. To access this service, citizens will be required to present their National Identity Number or the Kaduna State Residency Card, issued by the Kaduna State Residents Identity Management Agency (KADRIMA).”
In the midst of the Supreme Court's decision on a suit filed by Kaduna and other states challenging the naira redesign policy, Adekeye stated that the intervention is part of efforts to provide temporary relief until a permanent solution is found.
"On February 1, 2023, KDSG made public its concerns about the suffering caused by naira scarcity. Since then, it has continued to seek legal and peaceful solutions to the problem. "While we wait for a resolution, it is critical to seek ways to alleviate human suffering," the statement says.
"The measures outlined above are a limited response to a severe problem. But, in a crisis, any act of relief for citizens is welcome, even if the crisis was unnecessarily unleashed by those who should have known better."