The Victims Support Fund (VSF) Task Force on COVID-19 has donated various items valued at N130 million to the Kaduna State Government and selected Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the state.
Mrs Toyosi Akerele, Chairperson of the VSF task force team handed over the items to the state government on Tuesday at Dankande Gidan Taki by Mararaban Jos Settlement, Kaduna.
The items included food, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). among others.
Akerele said that the items would be shared on 50:50 basis by the state government and selected CSOs.
“The task force on COVID-19 is an emergency response team inaugurated by the Chairman of the VSF, Retired Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, to provide palliative measures to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“The vulnerable as well as provide institutional support to government agencies supporting the national effort to fight COVID- 19,” she said.
According to her, the VSF task force in continuation of its mandate will distribute rice, beans, maize, vegetable oil, salt and PPE to 40,886 households and approximately 204,330 direct beneficiaries across Kano, Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Benue and agencies in the Federal Capital Territory.
“The state governments will receive 50 per cent of the food items while CSOs will distribute 50 per cent directly to IDPs and vulnerable people,” she said.
She further said that the task force was also working closely with Federal and State Government agencies, involved in the fight against the pandemic.
Akerele said this was through collaboration with the National Commission for Refugee Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) to targeted IDPs and refugees with hygiene kits, children’s blankets and food items; and the National Council of Women’s Society (NCWS) to target vulnerable women.
Hajiya Hafsat Baba, Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, who received the items on behalf of the state government commended the donors and gave an assurance that the items would be judiciously distributed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items included 10kg Rice (6,688), 10kg Maize (6,688), 10Kg beans (6,688), vegetable oil 4 litres (6,688), 2kg Salt (6,688), 250ml hand sanitiser (10,000), standard surgical mask masks (5000) and Reusable face masks (20,000).
Other included 1,174 Hamzat suit, 1,174 goggles, 1,174 safety boots and 1,174 latex gloves, all amounting to N130 million. (NAN)