COVID-19: Gombe flags off distribution of palliatives

Not less than 400,000 individuals in 66,000 households in Gombe State are to be reached with palliative measures to mitigate against the hardship brought on them by the lockdown induced by COVID-19 pandemic.

State governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya has, therefore, flagged off the distribution of the palliatives and relief materials to the less privileged members of the society across the state held in Boh the headquarters of Shongom local government area of the state.

Inuwa Yahaya who was represented at the ceremony by the state deputy governor, Dr Manassah Daniel Jatau, said that the palliative package targets 30 less privileged individuals in each of the 2218 polling units across the state, translating to about 66, 000 households or 400,000 individuals.

The items include rice, maize, millet, sugar, spaghetti, macaroni, cooking oil, salt among others saying that the items were made up of donations received from the Federal Government and Northeast Development Commission, as well as those supplied by the Gombe State government.

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The governor also said that his administration is mindful of the hardship occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, hence the decision in setting up of the palliative committee to strategically come up with modalities and undertake the distribution to ensure that the items get to the intended beneficiaries.

The governor further said that his administration will continue to spare no effort in ensuring the welfare of the people through the formulation of policies, programmes as well as initiatives that will give the people a sense of belonging and bring the government closer to them.

He noted that since the palliative will not get to every citizen of the state, those that are privileged to have should be generous to share with neighbours in the spirit of brotherhood and said that the palliatives will get to the intended beneficiaries irrespective of political parties.

Chairman, Gombe State relief and palliative committee and Emir of Gombe, Alhaji (Dr) Abubakar Shehu Abubakar lll said that his committee came up with sub-committees to ensure that the items get to the intended beneficiaries and get all classes of people to whom the palliative are meant for are well captured and attended to.

He assured the governor that the palliative committee will ensure that the relief materials get to over sixty-six thousand less privileged households across the State.

A total of 2,790 households in Shongom Local Government Area have each received a bag of rice and millet, carton of macaroni, vegetable oil and salt as contained in a statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the governor.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE