The leader of Enugu State House of Assembly, Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, last week donated palliatives to residents at the grassroot level in Udenu Local Government Area.
Some of the items donated included 28 hand-held battery operated megaphones for the 28 communities in Udenu and employment of 28 volunteers per community, who could be called village criers, 28 whistleblowers that would monitor the activities of the village criers, 34 bucket stands with soap, hand sanitizers, the Obolloafor Police Station, the Catholic Church at Obolloafor, the DSS, NSCDC, FRSC, one for the public at Udenu Local Government headquarters. Other items include a mini bus with public address system, which will be used by three volunteers (constituency criers) to transverse the community educating them on the dangers of COVID-19, and also educate people to always wear face masks when they go out.
Ezeugwu recalled the words of Mother Teresa, “Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.”
These immortal words of Mother Teresa of blessed memory reminds us that,more than ever, the world needs love.
He also emphasized the need to wash hands regularly and apply hand sanitizers thereafter, to always maintain physical distancing and go out only if they must.
Ezeugwu said the gesture was to enlighten his constituents on the dangers of COVID-19 because the pandemic has no known cure, hence, the need for people to take preventive measures and cushion the effects of the pandemic.
He said, “It is on record that Udenu Local Government stakeholders were the first to distribute palliatives at the state at the local government level to the less privilege and the vulnerable in society.
“This was also made possible by the voluntary contributions of money and food items by concerned citizens in Udenu.”
With the spate of community transmission all over the country and given Udenu is a border local government, the legislator thought it wise to enlighten his people as palliatives alone were not enough.
According to Ezeugwu, “ Most people at the local level think that COVID-19 is for the rich and mighty and those who live in the city but it is not so as it also affects people at the community level.”