The Victims Support Fund (VSF) Task Force on COVID-19 has charged the Borno state government to increase the number of handwash stations in the state as part of preventive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The Head of the VSF Taskforce, Mrs. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, made the call while handing over some relief packages to the state’s Deputy Governor, Hon. Umaru Khadafur, in Maiduguri on Thursday.
She said that a total of 50,000 households among displaced persons in the state will receive the food items to cushion the effect of government’s lockdown order.
She noted that the items, which included 6,137 bags of 10kg rice, beans, maize, 4 litres kegs of vegetable oil and salts, are solely meant for the vulnerable group, who do not have any means of livelihood.
“Borno state is the only State bordered by three major States that had COVID-19 cases, namely: the Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic. So, we don’t want COVID-19 to penetrate Nigeria through Borno state. In addition to that, Borno has huge number displaced persons.
“We will like to call on the state government to increase public ‘hands wash stations’ in the state, since washing of hands is the only major preventive measures, I think it is important. What we are doing is to create awareness to contain the pandemic.
“We are also working with the vulnerable, institutions and agencies supporting the government as part of its contribution to national efforts in the fight against COVID-19.
“Today, we are going to hand over these items to you the state government; we are targeting 50,000 households of IDPs in Borno state,” Ogunsiji said.
Mrs. Ogunsiji noted that critical stakeholders and partners across these states would also get Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and medical consumables.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor thanked the VSF for the gestures and assured that the items would reach the targeted people.
“We want to thank you for the gestures. This intervention is timely and I want to call on other well-meaning Nigerians to follow suits. Also, I will like to assure you that all the items will reach the target desired,” Hon. Khadafur said.
Also speaking, the Chairperson, State Emergency Management Agency, Haija Yabawa Kolo, said the campaign against COVID-19 is already in top gear across all Internally Displaced Persons camps (IDPs) in the state.
“We have provided handwash stations in strategic places in IDPs camp at entrances, at their mini-markets, at clinics and each of the zones we mounted handwash stations and if resources will permit, we are going to mount in places like mosques and others,” she assured.
