Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has directed that 38 trucks of assorted food items donated by the COCAVID, a private sector initiative, be distributed across the 1, 495 polling units across the state.
Engineer Sule gave the directive while flagging off the distribution at a ceremony at the Government House, on Wednesday.
While commending the coalition of private sector organizations for the humanitarian gesture aimed at cushioning the hardship brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, the Governor directed that the food items be distributed across polling units in the state.
“It is important to note that these food items are to be shared to the poorest of the poor who have no source of income to cater for their daily needs.
“In this wise, salary earners, businessmen and other privileged people are exempted from this intervention,” Engineer Sule cautioned.
He discloses that the state government has re-strengthened the palliatives distribution committees at the local government, wards and polling units levels, to ensure transparency in the distribution of the food items.
“Accordingly, the State Steering Committee on COVID-19 will ensure strict supervision and keen monitoring of the distribution process.
“I need to put on notice that the Palliative Committee at all levels will be held accountable for any anomaly in the distribution of the palliatives,” the Governor stated.
He recalled that already, government bought and distributed 12 trucks of rice in order to cushion the effects of measures put in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19, adding that the Olam Farms Ltd also donated one truck of 600 bags of rice, bringing the total to 13 trucks, which were distributed to the vulnerable people across the 13 Local Government Areas of the State. While charging the palliative distribution committee to justify the confidence reposed in them by government by ensuring fairness and transparency in the distribution, Engineer Sule stressed that his administration has continued to issue Proclamations in an effort to curb the spread of Coronavirus in the State.
“As you may be aware, report from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), indicates that, Nasarawa State recorded over two hundred (200) cases.
“It therefore, becomes necessary on all and sundry to continue to comply with the preventive measures and Government directives in order to prevent further spread of the virus in the State,” the Governor stated.
Also speaking at the event, Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, who doubles as the Chairman of the COVID-19 Palliatives Distribution Committee, said government has put machinery on ground towards ensuring that the food items get to the desired members of the society.
While emphasizing that the distribution would be done at the 1,945 polling units, Dr. Akabe added that every beneficiary in a household would fill a form and provide phone numbers, names, location, among other information.
“The essence of the information is to afford the government the opportunity to verify whether the items got to the deserving people.
“We can pick any form and call the number of the person who collected the items for confirmation,” the Deputy Governor explained.
The food items to be distributed include 20, 000 cartons of spaghetti, 21, 000 bags of rice, 15, 000 bags of Semovita and 24, 000 bags of sugar, among others.
