Residents of Takushara community in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have cried out that the much-reported disbursement of the Federal Government palliatives to cushion the impact of the lockdown on the FCT, occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, has not reached the community.
Indications to this development emerged when the Skyewise Foundation, a multi-sectoral and human development-oriented organisation, donated food items to 150 households in the community to help them cope with the hardship during the lockdown. The Foundation, through its medical arm, also enlightened and sensitised the community on the basic health tips such as hand washing and social distancing necessary to curb the pandemic.
Speaking to reporters during the donation, President of the Skyewise Foundaton, Elvis Abuyere, said the Foundation was birthed from the act of giving back to the society, especially with the suffering coming from the lockdown.
“Since the lockdown, my heart has been bleeding; we have heard about the government palliatives but a lot of people have cried out that they have not been able to receive any palliatives. So, we said to ourselves there is something we can do to help our society and assist the government.
“We are doing this because we have come to realise that the greatest illness in the world is empty stomach. If you want to reduce the number of sick people in the world, you have to give them food to eat, because even hunger kills faster than the coronavirus. So, that is why we are doing this and we will continue as long as we get support from other people and from government,” Abuyere said.
The youthful entrepreneur, expressed excitement at the number of people that turned out to receive the donations, saying, “Today, I feel so excited and this gives me a sense of fulfillment and a sense of belonging reaching out to people and they are happy just for food. Just imagine if we have much more to do for the community.
“This was what motivated me and with the support of everybody we can do better to develop the society. Gone are the days when we depended on the government, we don’t have to depend on the government anymore; we have to create something out of nothing to help young people to become self-reliant in the 21 century,” Abuyere added.
He also tasked Nigerian leaders to set perspectives and create enabling environment for entrepreneurs and philanthropists and empower them to do more for the country.
Responding, the Village Head of Takushara, Saidu Mohammed, expressed delight at the donations. “We pray God to replenish them and empower them to do more to reach not just 150 households but 500,” he said, even as he urged government and other spirited groups to also assist the community.
Some of the beneficiaries, who decried lack of Federal Government palliatives, expressed joy that the organisation came to the rescue with the donations.
Rilwan Shehu, Youth leader of the community, told reporters that “the lockdown has been very hard on the people here because most of us are farmers and those of us that are working; the government said that junior workers should stay home and we find it difficult to cope with life. The help from the organisation means a lot to the community, the organisation has done a lot to reduce the hardship especially the vulnerable and widows, we really appreciate. The palliatives from the Federal Government have not reached us up till now but the government asked us to make a list and we are hoping.”
Another beneficiary, Aisha Aliyu, who expressed appreciation to Skyewise, for the food items, said “we have not gotten palliatives from government; they should take care of the poor because we are suffering too much”.
Larai Muhammadu, who also benefitted, was full of gratitude to the foundation. She however, said the community was yet to get the government’s palliatives. She also prayed God to deliver the nation from the rampaging disease.
Kadija Murtala a member of the community said, “Since this lockdown, the people have been suffering, they don’t go out to look for food, and they are just at home always. We have not received any palliatives from the government. So government has to come to our aid.”
According to the head of the medical team of the foundation, Uzoma Amadi, the foundation has sensitised the community not just on the relief materials but on basic health tips on how to survive the virus such as hand washing, using of alcohol sanitizers and keeping social distancing. He added that people are complying.
