The Emir of Shonga and Kwara State Chairman of the Committee on Palliatives, Dr. Haliru Yahaya said traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community-based organizations at various ward levels are to oversee the distribution of the State government’s palliative packages to the poorest of the poor in the state.
The Emir also said the palliatives would primarily target categories of persons that are considered to be worst hit by the government’s directive for people to stay at home as part of the measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus Pandemic to Kwara State
“To enable seamless distribution and to ensure maximum coverage of the targeted beneficiaries, the distribution will be carried out at ward level,”
“Accordingly, each of the 16 local government areas and 193 wards in the state are hereby required to set up an implementation committee respectively comprising a representative each of the following, the most senior traditional authority in the local government and ward; the most senior religious authority in the local government and ward; and two representatives of the community-based organizations in the local government and in the ward.
“The committees at the local government areas are only to supervise and provide independent monitoring of what happens at the ward levels.
“The ward implementation committees should, with immediate effect, draw up a list of beneficiaries that match the criteria stated above. Such a list should reach the secretariat of the Committee on Palliatives on or before 12 noon on Friday 3rd April 2020.
We believe that the necessary checks will be built into the exercise with the constitution of these committees even as the Palliatives committee will have overall coordination of the exercise”.
The emir, also explained that the ward level distribution would involve strict adherence to COVID-19 prevention protocols, including temperature screening of beneficiaries and social distancing.
An offshoot of the Kwara State Technical Committee on COVID-19, members of the committee on palliatives include former CAN Chairman Professor Timothy Opoola; Dr. Saudat Abdulbaqi; Umar Jimada Secretary, Special Adviser to the Governor (Strategy) Gidado Abdullateef Alakawa; Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Rafiu Ajakaye; community development expert Mr. Lawal Olohungbebe; TUC Chairman Com Olumoh Kolawole Nasir; and NLC Chairman Com Aliyu Issa Ore.
The emir, who said the stay at home directive was the best strategy to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infection, urged the people to abide by the government’s decision. He also called on well-to-do individuals to join the campaign in their own ways but without compromising the efforts to avoid community transmission.
“This committee, which is an offshoot of the larger Kwara State Technical Committee on COVID-19, was given the mandate to draw up the modalities for and supervise the distribution of the palliatives from the government and well-meaning members of the society who have donated to this humanitarian cause.
“This measure is the government’s way of showing good faith and affection to the people who have been asked to stay at home on safety grounds. The committee, therefore, urges the well-heeled in the society to help the needy at this time and commends all those who have donated to the government or are supporting the poor in their own way.
“Because of limited resources, the committee has given priority at this time to limited categories of our people who it considers to be very poor and worst hit by the directive. They are: the aged; the physically challenged; women, widows, and widowers who are sole breadwinners of their families
Artisans who are dependent on daily earnings; and any other category that the committee deems fit.”
He also commended those who donated to the government, including the Road Transport Employers Association and the National Union of Road Transport Workers which have graciously volunteered to transport the food items free of charge.
Source: VON
