By Dele Moses, Ilorin
Kwara State government has arranged for palliatives that would ensure people of the state do not suffer hunger while they continue to comply with the government’s directive to stay indoor to avert spread of the Coronavirus in the state.
The palliatives which are mainly food stuff such as rice, beans, bags of semovita and vegetable oil are arranged to be distributed to people at ward level across the 16 local government areas of the state.
The state chairman of the steering committee on the palliatives, Dr Haliru Yahaya who is the Emir of Shonga who explained details of the arrangement to newsmen on Wednesday said his committee was set up by the government to ensure the government’s plans on the palliatives was effectively carried out for the benefit of the people.
He mentioned members of the committee to include the Special Assistant (Strategies) to the Governor, Giddado Alakawa, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, Saudat Abdulbaqi, Lawal Olohungbebe, state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Kolawole Olumoh, his NLC counterpart, Aliyu Ore, former chairman of the state branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), T.O. Opoola and Umar Jimada, who is the secretary
The committee chairman explained that the palliative is targeted towards the less privileged and some other categories of people as he mentioned the targeted beneficiaries to include the aged, the physically challenged, widows and widowers who are bread winners of their families. Artisans who are dependent on daily earnings and any other category the committee deems fit
Explaining the modalities for distribution of the palliatives, Yahaya said: “To enable seamless distribution and to ensure maximum coverage of the targeted beneficiaries, the distribution will be carried out at ward level. Accordingly, each of the 16 local government areas and 193 wards in the state are hereby required to set up an implementation committee respectively comprising a representative each of the following: The most senior traditional authority in the local government and ward, the most senior religious authority in the local government and ward, two representatives of the community based organisations in the local government and in the ward.
“The committees at the local government areas are only to supervise and provide independent monitoring of what happens at the ward levels.
“The Ward Implementation Committees should, with immediate effect, draw up a list of beneficiaries that match the criteria stated above. Such list should reach the secretariat of the Committee on Palliatives on or before 12 noon on Friday 3rd April 2020. We believe that the necessary checks will be built into the exercise with the constitution of these committees even as the Palliatives committee will have overall coordination of the exercise.
“This ward-level distribution of the palliatives will be carried out in phases and the number of packages going to each ward shall be announced. The steering committee on palliatives shall duly announce dates for the distribution of items for each ward. We are projecting to start distribution from this weekend. It is expected that the DPM’s in all the Local Governments shall liaise with the Palliatives committee on the movement of the items to their respective Local Governments.
“I am to acknowledge that the Road Transport Workers Association and the National Union of Road Transport Workers have graciously volunteered to transport the food items free of charge. The committee again urges well-to-do in our society to please support this humanitarian campaign at all levels.
‘This is purely about helping the poor in our society to cope with the situation at hand.
“The committee urges all of us to continue to sensitise our people on the danger of this deadly virus and to encourage everyone to stay at home and stay safe. Stay safe.
“Finally, the committee appeals to individual donors to consider routing their palliatives to these ward committee which, supported by security agencies, are to ensure temperature screening (with thermometers) and social distancing as beneficiaries pick their own packages at a spacious central location.”
