COVID-19 Palliatives: Port Harcourt’s Mgbuoshimini, Rumuoji, Obio/Akpor LGA residents confirm receiving foodstuffs
Palliatives
By Omuboye Sukubo
Port Harcourt, April 15, 2020 (NAN) Some residents of Rumuoji and Mgbuoshimini communities in Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers, have confirmed receiving foodstuffs as palliatives from the state government.
The recipients who alleged irregularities, thanked the government for the gesture while appealing that markets should be opened as the palliatives would not last for them beyond two days.
Miss Ada Gasper, a beneficiary, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Wednesday that she received four packs of indomie, one pack of spaghetti, five cups of rice and half tuber of yam.
Gasper said that she received the foodstuffs at the popular Ojukwu Field in Rumuoji community.
She thanked the Rivers Government for distributing food items to curb the effects of markets lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but urged the coordinators to be transparent.
“I thank the state government but I think the aim is being defeated because what we are receiving is too small, and I suspect that the ward and community coordinators are not transparent,” she said.
Another recipient, Chima Amadi said that he got a quarter of tuber of yam, three packs of indomie, one pack of spaghetti, some measure of custard poweder, cups of garri and one canned tomato.
Amadi also accused the coordinators of not showing transparency in distributing the food items provided by the state government.
“Yes, as end recipients, we thank Gov. Nyesom Wike for the provision of palliatives but his representatives in the wards and communities are misrepresenting him.
“The food items made available as palliatives ought to be for the lowest of the low but the coordinators I think have diverted or kept for themselves a greater percentage of the items,” he alleged.
In Mgbuoshimini community, Obio/Akpor LGA, another recipient, Ikechi Nsirim, said that he gave the foodstuffs he received to a neighbour because he was better of.
“I got half of a small tuber, four cups rice and garri respectively, one spaghetti and two tins of tomato.
“I think the coordinators didn’t properly identify targets that need the palliatives, and they are also protecting their interest, so the items are small,” he said.
A non-indigene resident of the community, Miss Augustina Segun, said that the items distributed were too small and urged the state government to open the markets again.
“Things are quite expensive and the foodstuffs they gave us can’t go beyond two days, so we want Gov. Wike to open the markets for at least three days.
“He has tried, some of us at the grassroots have got it but the items are too small to sustain anyone for three days,” she said.
NAN reports that the Rivers Palliatives Committee on COVID-19 started the distribution of foodstuffs in Obio/Akpor LGA and moved to Port Harcourt City and other LGAs.
The state Chairman of COVID-19 Palliative Committee, Amb. Desmond Akawor, had said that traditional rulers, clerics, civil society leaders were being involved in the distribution to ensure that the foodstuffs got to the people.
A group of friends, Port Harcourt City Old Boys with the code name, “One Love” also distributed food items to over 1,000 families in Port Harcourt.
Mr Blessing Wikina, a member of the group, said that they came together as individuals and contributed to help ”the lowest of the low.”
Wikina disclosed that their initial target was to reach 700 families but they were inundated, with the number met, they deployed more items and reached almost 1000 families.
“We focused on food items and reached out to the lowest of the low at Egede, Nanka, Elechi Beach and Eagle Island Waterfronts in Diobu and Rex Lawson area of Port Harcourt.
“We are over 100 hundred so we divided ourselves into groups, and we assisted by volunteers to reach out,” he said.
Wikina disclosed that the food items distributed to each family were one carton of indomie, a bottle of oil and one custard rubber of garri, rice and beans respectively.
NAN reports that Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers said his administration set aside N2 billion to buy off all agricultural products produced in the state from state farmers and fishermen and distribute to residents.
”Our goal is to ensure that no agricultural produce like yam, garri, plantain, palm oil and fish, leaves our state during this period,” he said
The aim, according to the state government, was to cushion the effects of closures of boundaries with neighboring states and closure of markets across the state as a measure to curb the spread coronavirus.
(NAN)
OAS/JEO/PDE
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(Edited by Janefrances Oraka/Peter Ejiofor)
