COVID-19: Jigawa govt distributes palliatives to over 40,000 households

The Jigawa State Government on Tuesday launched the distribution of palliatives to 42,312 poor and most vulnerable households in the state.

The government also declared that the state has not recorded a new case of COVID-19 in the last 23 days.

Governor Mohammed Badaru made this known at the launching of the palliatives which was contributed by the Nigerian Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) in Dutse, the state capital.

Mr Badaru said a total of 12 households from each polling unit of the state were expected to benefit from the palliatives.

“In our effort to ensure every deserving beneficiary household get the allocation quantity; we have decided to distribute the items by 3,526 polluting units of the state.

“Every polling unit will have 12 households to benefit, thus every LGA will receive their consignment based on the number of the polling units in that LGA,” the governor said.

“This means a total of 42,312 households will be given the items in all the pollution units of the state.

“The remaining 7,629 households will be shared to people with special needs, such as the physically challenged, pensioners, the orphanage and other special people to be determined from the State Social Register,” Mr Badaru said.

While giving the update in the fight against COVID-19, the governor said: “today marks the 23rd day without a new case of COVID-19 in Jigawa State.

“While this gives us a reason to celebrate, more importantly will continue to thank the Almighty Allah for easing our difficulties and gradually bringing this pandemic to an end,” he said.

“Recall that apart from the mainstream activities of controlling COVID-19 in the state, we have also put measures to reduce the difficulties people encounter as COVID-19 took toll on the daily lives of our people as the new normal became part and parcel of our lives.

“We have previously distributed palliatives to the poor including grains purchased by the State Government and other items donated by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

“The palliatives we are distributing today are from the Private Sector Coalition against COVID, the CACOVID, and will go a long way in complementing our efforts and reducing the suffering of the people at the grassroots.

“CACOVID has also equipped one of our centres in Fanisau Dutse, with 100 beds and mattresses and other equipment which complemented our surge strategy of increasing isolation bed capacity in the state.

“I must at this juncture appreciate CACOVID for the strides and supporting the state at times of need,” Mr Badaru said.

Each household would be receiving 1 bag of 10kg rice, 1 carton of pasta, 2 cartons of noodles, 1 bag of 5kg of sugar, 1 bag of 1kg of salt and 1 bag of 5kg of garri, semovita, maize.

Earlier, the Area Manager, UBA Dutse, Lawal Ado, who spoke on behalf of CACOVID, noted that the fight against COVID-19 was a fight for the survival of everyone.

Mr Ado said the fight has become a necessity and was not just the responsibility of the government but a collective responsibility, which “we all must join the fight to stay alive.”

“So far, CACOVID in collaboration with state governments has inaugurated 38 isolation centres across the 36 states and FCT,” he said.

The Coalition, according to him, has also improved the testing capacity of the NCDC with the donation of 100,000 test kits and various PPEs.

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.

(NAN)