Press Release: Governor Bagudu Flags off Distribution of CACOVID Food Relief Materials to 38,047 Households

Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, Thursday, flagged off the distribution of assorted food relief materials donated to no fewer than 38,047 households by the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID).

The assorted food items were provided by the Coalition, while the disbursement was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The flag off ceremony was being conducted simultaneously on Thursday, across the thirty six states of Nigeria and FCT, Abuja.

The food items included Pasta Macaroni, rice, refined salt, sugar, spaghetti, flour and indomie.

Bagudu, represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Sama'ila Yombe Dabai , said that, a total of forty five (45) trucks of the items were supplied to the state .

The governor explained that, modalities had effectively been mapped out to ensure the even distribution of the materials to all the two hundred and twenty five political wards of the state.

Bagudu assured justice and equity in the disbursement of the items, through the local councils' chairmen.

The governor was highly optimistic that, the invaluable gesture would significantly alleviate the suffering occasioned by the negative tolls of the pandemic.

According to him: “All the intended beneficiaries will receive the materials as scheduled and nobody will be missed.”

“However, I must still warn that, officials Involved in the distribution should be God fearing and honest in the discharge of the assignment.”

Also speaking, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Birnin Kebbi, Alhaji Suleiman Muhammad Argungu, (Jarman Kabi) who is also the Kebbi State Coordinator, COVID-19 Food Relief Programme, stated that, top officials of the state government and those of the Coalition will monitor both the flag off exercise and the actual distribution of the food items, across the state.

Argungu, who was also a former Deputy Governor in the state, noted, “this is to ensure that, the exercise was done according to the plans, while vowing that, appropriate sanctions await anybody who flouts them.”

The State COVID-19 Task Force Chairman and Health Commissioner, Jafar Mohammed said that, Kebbi State has so far recorded ninety (90) COVID-19 confirmed positive cases, out of the 648 suspected cases investigated.

Out of the number, 83 persons have been treated and discharged.

According to him, the pandemic has so far claimed seven lives, while there was no any pending positive case in any of the isolation centres in the State.

He lauded Governor Bagudu for according topmost priority to the provision of moral and financial support to all the activities of the taskforce, which was responsible for the colossal successes it had recorded.

In his shortly speech before presentation of the relief materials, the representative of Coalition Against Covid-19 (CACOVID), Umar Muhammed said the Private Sector Coalition Against Covid-19 (CACOVID) is a joint initiative of leading private sector leaders and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) launched to galvanize urgent support in the fight against Covid-19 in Nigeria.

He said because the virus has been reported among individuals across Nigeria with high risk of spreading to affect the population not only in Nigeria with attendant socio-economic and healthcare disruptions, the need to come together to fight for our nation.

He averred “Today, the fight for survival has become a necessity, and it is not just the responsibility of the Government, It is our collective responsibility and we must all join the fight to stay alive.”

Muhammed also announced that so far the CACOVID in collaboration with state governments has commissioned 38 isolation centres across all the 36 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as improved the testing capacity of the NCDC with the donation of over 100,000 test kits and various PPEs.

He added that the Food Relief Program which had started would cover 1.6 million families, i.e. over 10 million Nigerians across the country.

He assured that CACOVID has laid out an elaborate plan to effectively and efficiently distribute the relief packages to the target beneficiaries across all local government areas in Nigeria.

“We are doing this to help the most vulnerable households that have been affected by the Coronavirus,” he said.

He thanked governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu for assisting the CACOVID team in the fight against the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic in Kebbi State.

The event was witnessed by the Secretary to the State Government, Babale Umar Yauri, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Chairmen of the 21 LGAs, the State Covid-19 Task Force team among others.

Signed:
YAHAYA SARKI
Special Adviser (SA) Media to Kebbi State Governor
6/8/2020.