SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
No fewer than 6,000 vulnerable residents of three wards in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, have so far received variety of food items through a statewide palliative launched by Governor Babagana Zulum, last week Saturday.
The distribution, which kicked off at customs-house IDP camp in Muna, Jere local government a week ago, shifted to densely populated wards: Gwange I, II, and III, this weekend.
About 2,000 residents of Gwange III ward were reached today, Saturday, during a distribution that was attended by governor Zulum while applying COVID-19 prevention steps.
On Friday afternoon, 4,000 residents of Gwange I and II wards got similar food items with more wards expected to be reached.
Bags of rice, Semovita, Gallons of Cooking oil, Cartons of Spaghetti and some condiments were given to beneficiaries.
Zulum had on April 24, constituted a 17- member committee to distribute palliatives, mostly food items, to cushion the social effect of the 14-day statewide lockdown. The lockdown, imposed by the Governor on April 22, was to control the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Governor Zulum had charged the Committee, chaired by commissioner of agriculture, Engr Bukar Talba, with chairperson of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajja Yabawa Kolo, as secretary, to transparently identify persons in urgent need of government intervention.
To enhance transparency, the governor included representatives of intelligence and security agencies, religious affairs, women, the media in the mix that has so far lived to expectation.
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