From Femi Oyelola Kaduna
Barely 48 hours after Kaduna State Government announced extension of lockdown by 30 days to check the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, residents of the state have appealed to Governor Nasiru El El-Rufai to provide them with food, saying, preventive measures are good but palliatives are also necessary.
The stated this while speaking to our correspondent in Kaduna yesterday.
Investigation revealed that most residents are gradually running out of food stuffs.
A businessman, Mr Tony Okotor who runs a barbing salon in Kwoi street, Sabon Tasha in Chikun Local Government Area, said his business is almost paralyzed because of lack of patronage.
Okotor who said he believed that coronavirus is real, however said that government should consider that stretching forth it’s arms towards the people in the area of supporting them with palliatives is urgent.
He expressed dismay over the last distribution of palliatives within his vicinity, saying, as a common man he only heard but never saw it.
Similarly, 79 years old widow, Laraba Dauda, of Anguwan Sunday in Chikun LGA, said compliance with the directives of Government to stay at home is not her problem, but what she and other widows will eat is the headache to them, and urgently called for government’s assistance.
In the same vein, Malam Tukur Abdullahi, of Abuja road, Rigasa in Igabi LGA, said his store is fast running dry because he cannot restock it with food stuffs.
Abubakar Ladan of Dendeli, Malali Village in Kaduna North LGA, said unless government comes to his aid, he like others do not know what to do.
However, Kaduna State Government during the announcement of the extension, said the extension of the quarantine conditions imposes an obligation to make provision for the low income, poor and vulnerable persons that would be adversely affected, as they may be unable to earn any income while the lockdown persists.
El-Rufai said government has done a first phase of distribution of food across 59 community clusters in nine LGAs. The next phase will be conducted across the 23 LGAs.
