The Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), has delivered household food items estimated to worth about N500 million to the Kano state government for onward delivery to vulnerable persons in the state, as part of the on-going support to the state.
The commodities which consist of Rice, Macaroni, Semovita, Salt, Sugar, and Spaghetti, were purchased from the initial budget of N21 billion set aside by the Coalition for the purchase of food to be distributed to 1.7 million households across Nigeria to help cushion the effect of the ravaging pandemic.
Delivering the food items which were conveyed to Kano in about 45 trucks to the chairman of the Kano State Task Force Committee on Covid-19, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who is the deputy –governor of the state, on Tuesday, at KASCO warehouse in Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state, Abdulkadir Sidi, a representative of Dangote Group, who handled over the items on behalf of Coalition, says the donation was a continuation of the series of supports being rendered by the coalition to the country.
Sidi disclosed that the coalition will be working with the state and Local Governments in partnership with its members and civil society groups to ensure effective distribution of the food items to all vulnerable people in the state.
According to him, the move to donate the food package became imperative following the severe dislocation to the national and global economy by the Covid -19 pandemic which is exacerbating in food difficulty for many individuals across most of the states, at the moment.
“One for the realities which the Covid -19 pandemic has trigged up is the present food shortages which many households are being confronted with. The pandemic has brought about the need to lockdown the economy, and the attendant disruption of logistics and food supply across the country and this is pushing millions of Nigerians into poverty and despair.
“As Nigeria continues to grapple with the situation at hand, the Coalition believes there is the need to assist in making these food items available to vulnerable Nigerians with Kano being the most populous state in the country, taking the lead in the distribution” Sidi stated.
Receiving the items, the Deputy-Governor, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, commended the role that the members of the coalition has been playing in the curtailment of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, particularly, in the state.
Gawuna noted that the various supports is given by the group which includes, the donation of testing equipment, hospital facilities, and other logistic materials, as well as other donations that led to the various degree of successes so far, recorded by the state, in recent times.
The deputy-governor, recounted that it was these supports, and the pro-active leadership provided by the state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje that translated into almost zero incidence currently being recorded by the state, for some time now.
“From what everybody can see, Kano is winning the war against the pandemic, and we want to assure all our partners that the state will not relent in ensuring that total victory is attained over the pandemic.
“We are glad to extend the gratitude of His Excellency, Governor Ganduje, and the good people of Kano to CACOVID. The items donated here is going to be speedily distributed to the targeted individuals. As a demonstration of our resolve to get palliative to all vulnerable people, I will be moving away strength from here to another KASCO warehouse to flag off the distribution of another phase of the palliative”, he added.
The ceremony was witnessed by a large turnout of the residents of the state which includes the representatives of the state emirate councils, and local council officials.
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