The Kuje Area Council of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has distributed 8083 bags of rice and condiments to residents as palliative to cushion the effect of COVID-19 lockdown in the area.
Mr Sunday Zaka, Chairman of Kuje Task Force on COVID-19, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the distribution of the palliative in Kuje on Monday, that other items included maggi, tomato paste, beans, salt, sugar, garri, semovita and cooking oil.
NAN reports that the Minister of State FCTA, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, had said that all area councils would receive bags of rice and condiments for distribution to vulnerable people.
The minister had said that the intervention was to cushion the impact of the stay -at-home order on vulnerable people.
“We received on paper and physical counting 8083 bags of rice, 8083 condiments and the condiments comprised of rice, garri, semovita and others.
“The strategy was very simple, we have nine-man committee at the local government and ward levels and were instructed to share at their community level.
“The nine-man committee will serve as distribution committee, we write down their names and also distribute to each committee in numbers.
“A meeting was called across political parties in Kuje, the ward chairmen and every relevant stakeholders and we adopted a strategy for sharing,” he said.
Mr Monday Turu, a beneficiary from Quarters area, while appreciating the donation, commended the Federal Government’s efforts to curtail spread of the pandemic.
Turu said that the intervention would mitigate the effect of the lockdown on the residents.
He, however, called for the review of the lockdown as it was affecting businesses and families in their search for livelihood.
“May I start by appreciating the Federal Government through the FCT Minister for this palliatives given to us today, it will go a long way to cushion the effect.
“We are praying that this COVID-19 in no distance time will have no dwelling place in our land and that we will get out of this.
“I want to advise that there are more vulnerable ones in the interior, do the best you can to reach out to them,” he said.
Mr Etsu Zhin, the district head of Tukpechi community, who received the palliative on behalf of the community, thanked the government and called on corporate organisations to emulate the gesture. (NAN)