The Minister of State for Steel and Solid Minerals Development, Chief Uche Ogah, has begun the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives to groups and communities in Abia.
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This was contained in a statement by Mr Kingsley Ugboaja, Director-General of Ogah’s Campaign Organisation during the 2019 governorship polls in the state, on Sunday in Umuahia.
Ogah stated that the gesture became necessary due to the economic hardship occasioned by the lockdown.
He listed the items to include 20,000 bags of rice (5kg and 50kg), 1,000 bags of beans, 10,000 cartons of noodles and spaghetti plus liquid hand sanitiser.
“I feel touched by the economic hardship our people are passing through in Abia as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, which has crippled economic activities all over the world.
“The gesture is my humble contribution to the fight against the pandemic and a way to personally identify with the people at this trying time,” Ogah stated.
He gave assurance that the distribution, which started on Saturday, would continue in batches until the palliatives got to every household, particularly the vulnerable groups in the state.
The minister advised Abia residents “not to despair but have confidence in God for protection against the global pandemic.”
He argued that the virus is not a death sentence and admonished the people to strictly observe all the protocols and personal hygiene recommended by medical bodies.
He expressed joy that Abia had not recorded fresh cases of the virus after the initial two patients, who were successfully treated and discharged.
The items were handed over to the leaderships of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and 17 local government chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and community leaders.
Other beneficiaries included the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists and Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN) in the state.
The Chairman of CAN, Rev. Emmanuel Agomuo, who led other Christian bodies to Onuaku (Ogah’s country home) in Isuikwuato council area to receive the items, thanked the minister for the gesture.
Agomuo promised that the church leaders would ensure equitable distribution of the palliatives to their members, especially the indigent and vulnerable ones.
Also, the Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel and his OMPAN counterpart, Chief Obinna Ibe and Ugochukwu Nwankwo, thanked the minister for including their members in his COVID-19 stimulus package.
They said that with the gesture, he had encouraged them not to relent in their selfless service to society.
They urged other wealthy indigenes of Abia to emulate the gesture and support media professionals, who were also in the frontline of the COVID-19 war.
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