GEJ Releases N5b To Buy Stoves For Rural Women

President Goodluck Jonathan’s silence on the recent fuel shortage in the country has triggered heavy repugnance from Nigerians.

The president has failed to publicly address the problem of lack of petroleum products that is currently tormenting the nation to show that he empathises with Nigerians.

However in a move to win the hearts of Nigerian women, a report by The Nation has shown that the president has released N5 billion to the Ministry of Environment for the purchase of clean cook stoves for rural women, a project which is expected to gulp N9.2 billion.

This was revealed yesterday by the Minister of Environment, Laurentia Mallam, who said that the President will inaugurate the project today.

According to Mrs. Mallam, the stoves will be distributed to women in the rural areas through the state ministries of environment.

Speaking during an inspection visit to the Veldrome at the National Stadium, Abuja, Mrs. Mallam revealed that the contractor, Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Services Limited, has been given N1.3 billion from the N5 billion released by the Federal Government.

She added that clean cook stoves will help to discourage the use of firewood for cooking, which she said is one of the causes of desertification in the North.

She said: “We started in the northern parts of the country because of the challenges we are facing there with the desert encroaching into the country and people still cut down trees.

“Now, the President wants it to spread throughout the country and so we have this project.

“The ministry has received N5 billion so far. You know when N9.2 billion was approved by the Federal Government last year, we told Nigerians that N9.2 billion has been approved by the Federal Government. But so far, N5 billion has been released to the ministry.

“We have given the contractor 15 per cent, which is N1.3 billion. That is what we have released to the contractor and we still have N3.7 billion in the ministry’s account.”

Meanwhile, the president yesterday signed two bills recently passed by the National Assembly into law.