Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Relief came the way of some indigent persons and low-income earners in various parts of Anambra State recently, as different organisations and wealthy individuals reached out to them with some foodstuff.
The relief materials, the reporter gathered, were distributed to the people as part of their benefactors’ contributions to cushion the harsh economic effects arising from the COVID-19 lockdowns.
In Anambra, the lockdown was imposed by the state government as part of its strategies to curb the spread of the dreaded disease.
One of the donors was the Anambra Sports Club (ASC). The group was in Awka, the state capital, with some food items and money, which it distributed to the beneficiaries, drawn from various parts of the state. Each beneficiary went home with one mini bag of rice, three tubers of yam and some measure of beans. Four coaches and a nurse working for the club were, aside from the foodstuff, empowered with N20,000 each.
Coordinator of the club, Ambassador Obi Onyekuba, who was represented at the event by a member of the planning committee, Charles Ekwunife, said 250 persons were beneficiaries of the relief materials. He stated that the club members were moved by the sufferings of the people and, therefore, decided to reach out in their little way.
“The members of Anambra State Sports Club actually considered the harsh effects of the COVID-19 pandemic owing to the lockdown ordered by the state and federal governments and the hardship being experienced by the people of Anambra State,” he said.
Also, the Anglican Diocese of Niger West distributed various food items as palliatives to the needy in the diocese on Saturday, May 2.
That day, the diocese doled out palliatives to those who were badly affected by the lockdown put in place to contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Bishop of the diocese, Dr. Johnson Ekwe, while handing out the items, which included bags of rice and cartons of noodles, explained that the palliative was the diocese’s second intervention to lessen the sufferings of those who had been severely affected by the lockdown. The prelate also expressed gratitude to individuals, families, friends of the diocese and men of goodwill whose generous donations made the palliative intervention possible.
The priest in charge of protocol/publicity for the diocese, Ven. Emmanuel Onovo, explained that the bishop had charged the archdeacons and priests in charge of special churches to show the highest level of diligence by ensuring that the items reached those who needed them most.
National chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Victor Oye, also distributed relief materials to residents of Amawbia community in Awka South Local Government Area.
The relief materials, which included 600 bags of rice, 600 cartons of noodles and some undisclosed amount of money, were given out to selected residents of the six villages that make up the community. Each of the beneficiaries went home with one bag of rice, one carton of noodles and cash.
At Ezi-Okpaligwe, where the distribution took place, Oye announced that non-indigenes of the community who lived in the area were captured in the distribution lists and would be given their share of the relief materials.
Speaking to the beneficiaries, Mr. Mike Nwofo, personal assistant to the APGA national chairman, who represented his boss at the event, said Oye was moved to donate the relief materials because of the sufferings of the people.
Nwofo, who doubles as the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano on the Environment, quoted the national chairman as saying that emphasis was laid on the poor, the vulnerable and low-income earners in the community while the list of beneficiaries was being compiled.
The member representing Awka South 1 in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Dr. Nnamdi Okafor, commended Oye for extending the milk of human kindness to the people. He noted that the APGA leader was already known for his philanthropic acts.
Igwe-elect of Amawbia, Chinyelu Nwora-Molokwu, and one of the community’s women’s leaders, Mrs. Gladys Edi, in their separate speeches, commended Oye for reaching out to the people.
Nwora-Molokwu, while thanking the APGA national chairman on behalf of the community, urged him not to relent in his good works for the community, Anambra State, Igbo people and Nigeria at large.