COVID-19: Benin Catholic Archdiocese donates 100 bags of rice to Edo govt.

Rice
By Monday Ajogun
Benin, April 24, 2020 (NAN) The Archbishop of Benin Archdiocese, Bishop Austin Akubueze, has donated 100 bags of 50kg of rice and 10,000 hand sanitisers to Edo government in its fight against the spread COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
The bishop, who was represented by the Catholic Chancellor of Benin Metropolitan See, Rev. Michael Oyanafoh, assured the state government of the diocese’s prayers and support.
According to him, “We are working in our various parishes to ensure that prayers are offered by priests, albeit without a congregation, for the end of the pandemic.
“We are also distributing food items to the needy. We know that if the pandemic is not stopped from spreading, then hunger will increase among the people.
“Government should show a great level of transparency in the distribution of the items to the needy.
“These items should not be distributed along electoral line, party loyalty, communities that voted for the party or party-friendly communities.
“Sometimes, it may not be a government policy per se that has problem but those carrying out the policies, who maybe unfaithful to the spirit and the directive given to them.
“So we want you to take special note and be vigilant that good intentions are not squandered in the name of political gain, but at the expense of the loss of lives of Edo people,” he said.
Receiving the items on behalf of the state government, the Deputy Governor, Mr Philip Shaibu, assured that they would get to the right people.
“We had put machinery in place to ensure that our distribution network cuts across party line. We are not distributing it from the political structure end.
“In the first distribution, we arrested one or two persons, including a serving councilor, for flouting the directive given to them and they have since been tried and sentenced.
“No party official will be involved in the distribution of items in Edo,” the deputy governor said. (NAN)
AJOM/KOO/WAS
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa and ‘Wale Sadeeq