 The National Executive Council has agreed on palliative measures for Nigerians through a cash transfer program that will be immediately implemented by the federal, state and local governments towards ameliorating the suffering of the poorest of the poor in the country. This is coming because of the recent hike in petrol prices to up to 617 naira a litre resulting from the removal of the petrol subsidy. The decision was part of resolutions reached yesterday at the fourth meeting of the council chaired by Vice President Kashim Shatima at the State House Executive Council Chambers Abuja. This comes after a presentation by the NEC at her committee on cushioning the effect of petrol subsidy removal was made by Anambra State Governor Professor Chukuma Soludo. There are layers of work going on on the economy. I'm sure the federal team, economic team is working hard on what the federal government will and could do. The states are also doing their own bit and so are also the local governments. Now what we have put out here about what a menu of things that we encourage the tiers of government to implement in accordance with their respective fiscal space and fiscal capacities, the federal, the state and the local government. And we did highlight as well that there is quite some fiscal surplus that will be coming to the states and local government and the federal government. And there we've suggested it will be nice that you can implement cash transfers subject to your financial capacity. The council has also suggested a six month cash award policy for public servants to ease their living and transportation expenses while urging governors to reduce the cost of governance in their various states. To address the cost of living, the governor of Bochi said food items including grains and fertilizers are to be distributed by state governments at a subsidized rate or no cost at all after it is received from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA. We also talked about ensuring that we paid our public servants outstanding liabilities, whichever way, if it's their pension, if it's their gratuities, if it's their living bonuses and so on and so forth. And that is a food bonus item because we believe that this, we really bring so close to our people. And the takeaway is that the NEC really discussed in terms of giving a broader, more and compulsive intervention to all the sectors and all the segments of the society. Food is a key component of what is on the table in terms of food security, the escalation of prices of food stop and so on and so forth. And it was gladdening because NEC engaged with NEMA, with the CBN and indeed with the Ministry of Agriculture and we have some buffer stock that is already there with NEMA and the council has directed the states will be allocated immediately, substantial portion of food items, grains and so on and so forth for distribution so that the prices of food stop will come down and it will be given at the subsidized rate or at the rate at which it is acquired from NEMA because it is free.