By Chimezie Godfrey
The Federal government, has dispatched 110 trucks of palliatives to the Kano State government for distribution to the needy, vulnerable and people of concern in the state.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, revealed that the Ministry delivered 10 trailer-loads of parboiled rice to the state government about two weeks ago.
She said the Ministry also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to deliver 100 trucks of grains to five locations in Kano, for distribution to poor and vulnerable households on the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to her, the grains in 100 trailers, include millet, sorghum and maize, which were released from silos holding the country’s strategic food reserve located across the country.
It could be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to release 70,000 metric tons of food for distribution to less-privileged Nigerians to cushion the effect of the lockdown aimed at checking the spread of the killer-disease triggered by COVID-19 in Nigeria.
The Minister emphasised that “One of the humanitarian interventions provided by the federal government is the delivery of food items as palliatives to the poor and vulnerable in all states affected by the Covid-19 pandemic to ease the lockdown situation.”
She assured the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja of the ministry’s commitment to collaborate agencies under its purview in discharging its mandate.
“The Ministry will continue to work closely with all the agencies under its purview, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in discharging its mandates, including providing effective coordination of humanitarian interventions both nationally and internationally for the benefit of the citizens of this country, especially during this Covid-19 Pandemic,”She said.
The Minister also stressed the need for the agency to work closely with the Ministry and its sister agencies in all the states in monitoring the effective distribution of the palliatives to ensure that the food items reach the intended beneficiaries, especially in states under lockdown.
In his remark, the Director General, NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja assured the Minster that the agency will work closely with state governments to ensure the effective monitoring and accountability in distributing the palliatives.
He thanked the Minister for the visit and her support to NEMA in discharging its duties for the benefit of Nigerians.
