The N20,000 payout will start next month, according to Chris Nehikhare, the state’s commissioner for information and orientation, who made this announcement yesterday while addressing journalists shortly after the state EXCO meeting.

During the organized labour protest, the governor, Godwin Obaseki, had pledged to invest N500 million every month to help mitigate the effects of subsidy removal on the populace. He said the N20,000 payment represented his fulfillment of that pledge.

He said the state government has a database register of the poorest of the poor in the state, adding that the database was done in 2019 in collaboration with the World Bank.

He said, “We have a database of about 314,000 households of the poorest of the poor with over one million people.

Chris said “We are going back to the local government areas to review and revalidate the database and also capture new households that were not initially captured in 2019 and by next month we will commence payment”

He said during the revalidation, the people would be provided with the Edo State Residency Card while officials of the National Identity Management Commission [NIMC] would be available to capture the National Identification Number (NIN) biometrics of the people.

He said the fund for the palliatives would be sourced from the state’s monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), adding that the government is supporting Edo people living below poverty line.

Nehikhare, however, disclosed that members of the State Executive Council condemned the legal suit the state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu instituted against the state governor, Godwin Obaseki over an alleged plot to impeach him.

“When you breach the oath of office you took, there are consequences of action, but as politicians, our doors are opened”

Regarding security, Chris said that the state government is training 1,500 vigilantes to bolster the current security infrastructure and make sure the state is secure for business.