Abia State Governor, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu announced that his administration has set in motion the platform for the distribution of food palliatives to Abians following the sit-at-home directive to check the spread of Coronavirus starting from Tuesday 7th April 2020.
Addressing journalists in Umuahia on Monday after inspecting one of the warehouses meant for distribution to the people of the State, Governor Ikpeazu informed that the distribution would be done in a segregated manner to cover about six churches at a time.
According to him, the strategy is to distribute the items through the Churches, Mosques, Traditional Rulers and President Generals of Town Unions as over 70 percent of the less privileged individuals in Abia would be reached through that.
While noting that Government might not provide all that the people may need to at this period of the lockdown, he insisted that the measure was to provide palliatieve to cushion the suffering faced by the people.
Ikpeazu disclosed that the fumigation of markets and institutions in the State would commence in the next 24 hours, explaining that the medical reason for the two weeks sit- at-home was that within the period, any infected person would have manifested and would be contained by God’s grace.
He said that after the first 14 days, wearing of facemasks in the State would be compulsory for everyone and urged those who can, to provide facemasks for their neighbours.
The State chief executive commended public spirited individuals and organizations who have contributed to the food bank and encouraged those who can to continue to support the vulnerable in the society. He disclosed that the Inter-ministerial Committee would tommorow do a review of the lockdown with a view to determining the next step to take.
ABIA ONLINE observed that the State Government has bags of rice, beans, garri, tubers of yam, noodles as well as hand sanitizers and face masks to be distributed to the less privileged in all the 17 Local Government Areas.