Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Federal Government has commenced the distribution of 3kg cooking
gas to 3,000 rural women in Ekiti state as part of efforts to check
hazardous emissions.
The First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, said the State Government was prepared to sustain all its programs aimed at improving the living standard of the people for national development.
Erelu Fayemi, who made the promise during the distribution of free
cooking Gas cylinders and Tree planting exercise held in Ado-Ekiti,
said that the programme would go a long way in alleviating the
sufferings of rural women in Ekiti.
The Governor’s wife, who applauded the Federal Government for making
available the three thousand cooking Gas cylinders said that the provision of the items would put an end to the age long tradition of cooking with fire wood.
“Women welfare would continue to be prioritized while government would
always create an enabling environment for its citizens”, she assured.
Mrs. Pauline Tallen, Minister of Women Affairs, represented by the
Director, Finance and Account, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs.
Modupe Bakare, while flagging off the exercise in Ado-Ekiti, said it
was the first phase of the National Cooking Gas Project and Tree
Planting Initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Dame Tallen said that the President had directed the supply of cooking
gas cylinders to 1,000 rural women in each of the 774 Local Government
Areas across the country.
The Minister explained that the Project being piloted in Ekiti State
would be executed in three phases across the country, adding that the
timing of the Project was apt in view of the world’s attention towards
reducing effects of green-house emission in the society.
She advised the State, Local Government Areas and Civil Society
Organisations to support Federal Government effort to scale down the
project to the various communities.
Wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, in her remark,
commended the Federal Government for the initiative and for choosing
Ekiti State for the pilot phase, urging the people of the Ekiti State
to embrace the use of alternate clean stove for cooking rather than
firewood given the related poisonous gas emission hazard.
Ekiti State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Mrs. Mojisola Fafure,
lauded the Federal Government for the women-friendly dispositions and
urged the beneficiaries to use the cooking gas for the purpose it was
meant.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), the emission from
cooking stoves kills about 4.3 million people annually through air
pollution and indoor smoke inhalation causing respiratory diseases and
death.
The event which featured the tree planting exercise at the reserved
field beside the pavilion was also to create awareness and sensitise
the public, particularly women and other stakeholders, on the effect
of using firewood for cooking.
Ekiti State is the 3rd state in the country to partake in the pilot
exercise and 13,000 gas cylinders will be distributed soon.
The Permanent Secretary for Women Affairs, Dr. Eunice Oladimeji,
thanked the Governor’s wife for her supports for the women in the
state across the sixteen Local Government Areas and promised that the
Ministry will always do her best to support the administration of Dr.
Kayode Fayemi.
