Abia Distributes Palliatives To Vulnerable Residents

As a measure to cushion the effect of the lockdown on residents, the Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has approved the distribution of cash and food/relief materials as palliatives to vulnerable persons in the state.

The relief materials, comprising cash, protective materials and food items are to be delivered to churches and mosques in the state through their representatives according to the schedule adopted by the COVID-19 Committee.

According to a statement issued by the state commissioner for information, John Okiyi Kalu, the materials would be delivered in the days and time stated below.

The statement said “Based on the foregoing, the designated representatives of the following Churches and Mosque are to come to the Government House food store located within the Office of the Wife of the Governor, with vehicles to collect the food and other palliative items for immediate distribution to their identified widows, indigents and vulnerable members:

The date for the distribution is, Tuesday April 7, 2020, at 2.00pm, with the following churches and mosque: Catholic Church, Methodist Church, The Apostolic Church, Assemblies of God Church, Christ Embassy, Dunamis Church and Umuahia Central Mosque.

The distribution for Wednesday, April 8, 2020, will also take place at 2.00pm with the following churches: Anglican Church, Seventh Day Adventist Church, ACC Mission, The Lord’s Chosen, Qua Iboe Church and Living Faith Ministries aka Winners.

Thursday, April 9, 2020 will see the following churches receive the relief materials: Presbyterian Church, Salvation Ministries, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Deeper Life Bible Church, Peculiar Ministries and Celestial Church of Christ.

Finally on Friday will see the turn of the following churches: Church of God Mission, Holy Sabbath Mission, TREM, ECWA, Dominion City Church and Cherubim and Seraphim.

“Each Church will receive the following items: bags of rice, bags of beans, bags of garri, tubers of yam, hand sanitizers, face masks and cash to take care of vulnerable persons among their members. The designated representatives have already been contacted.

“Also, the state geriatric services agency will immediately commence visits to senior citizens who are above 70 years to deliver food, drugs, face masks and hand sanitizers on behalf of the government.

“Further delivery schedules will be announced in due course for other churches and community groups. There will also be a mop up exercise of the distributions to include those who might have missed out in the initial phases of the deliveries. Such people will be reached through the traditional rulers, community president generals and ward leaders.

“We remain confident that distributing these relief materials through our fathers in the faith, Abia widows, orphans, indigents and other vulnerable persons will be reached through a structured and effective process that will not compromise the already established protocols in the efforts against the coronavirus pandemic.”