Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti, Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan, and By Adewale Banjo
Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, yesterday, flagged off the distribution of food items to the vulnerable in the state.
Fayemi also relaxed the dusk-to-dawn curfew and restriction of movement imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
He said the relief materials, packaged in sacks, will be distributed to identified segment of the population as a gesture to make life easier for them.
The governor emphasised that the vulnerable include the poor, the aged, the physically challenged, the unemployed and the project is being powered by the Ekiti COVID-19 Response Food Bank Drive.
Fayemi, who spoke during the flag off ceremony at the Lady Jibowu Hall of the Government House, Ado-Ekiti, disclosed that residents of the state are free to move about today and Thursday, April 9 between 6.00am and 2.00pm.
He noted that the curfew was relaxed due to the fact that it was already one week on Monday with one week to go, urging the people “to persevere a little more in our best interest.”
While noting that the flag off was the first assignment he performed since getting out of isolation, Fayemi urged residents to cooperate with his administration to defeat COVID-19, adding that public places have been fumigated as part of measures to contain the pandemic.
The first phase of the distribution of food items, the governor said was targeting not less than 20,000 households already registered on the Vulnerable People’s Support Programme domiciled at the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning which covers all the 16 local government areas.
Fayemi said the exercise has no political coloration and warned that the seals must not be tampered with until they get to the targeted beneficiaries.
He equally revealed that tough sanctions await any political office holder or private citizen who may want to divert the items or involve himself in any shady deal in the distribution.
Diocese of Lagos West donates materials, money
Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion has donated materials worth more than N5 million and undisclosed sum of money to support the fight against coronavirus pandemic in Lagos State.
The items were delivered to the Ministry of Health on behalf of Bishop James Odedeji by the Dean of the Cathedral, Goke Agara while the monetary donation was paid into the dedicated account for that purpose.
The representative of the government commended the church for the gifts, adding that they were coming at a time most needed.
Ogun politician doles out N4m to vulnerable
A politician in Ogun State, Deji Ashiru, has doled out N4 million to the vulnerable in Ogun East Senatorial District of the state.
Ashiru, who was the senatorial candidate of the district on the platform of Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) in 2019 general election, joined the state government and other well-meaning indigenes of the state to cushion the effect of the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world with a palliative
He made this known yesterday during a media chat with journalists in Lagos.
He said: “I have decided to give N5,000 each to 400 beneficiaries and second batch will be N2,000 each for 1,000 beneficiaries.
“The recipients have started receiving the money directly in their accounts since Sunday and we hope to be done by today.”
The politician, who is the founder of Engineer Deji Ashiru Foundation (EDAF), a non-governmental organisation, said his foundation already has the data base of the vulnerable and the poor within the senatorial district over the years which made it possible to interact with them directly.
He, however, called on Nigerians to pray for God’s mercy to cease the plague ravaging not only the country but the world at large.
In addition, he urged the people to observe a high level of personal hygiene such as washing of hands with soap under running water, using alcohol-based sanitisers as well as maintaining social distancing as key tips to preventing the spread of the virus.