From Faith Yahaya, Abuja
The Federal Government has handed over five trucks of rice to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of palliatives distributed to states with the highest number of recorded cases of COVID-19.
In addition to the five trucks of rice, the federal government also disclosed that the FCT will get more 30 trucks of grains, five trucks of rice, two trucks of vegetable oil, and tomatoes paste as part of efforts to cushion the impact of the lockdown order by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday during the handing over of the palliative to the FCT authority, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq said states benefiting from the palliative were considered based on three criteria.
According to her: “We are handing over palliative to the locked-down affected states based on three criteria. The criteria are; population, the extent of the COVID-19 cases recorded in the state, and the affected lockdown states by the order of the federal government.”
On the palliative handed over to the FCT, Farouq said: “We have just handed over five trucks of rice. Five more trucks of rice are on the way and two trucks of vegetable oil and the grains from the strategic grain reserve are also on the way.
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“By tomorrow (Thursday), the Federal Capital Territory Authority will receive them. For the grains, we are looking at about 30 trucks.”
Also speaking, the Minister of State of FCT, Ramatu Aliyu said 600,000 households will benefit from the palliative distributed by the FCT.
She further explained that the six Area Councils in the FCT will get 100,000 bags each.
Speaking after the trucks of rice were handed over to her, Aliyu said: “We thank President Buhari for finding FCT worthy considering that we are the second-highest number with cases of COVID-19. By this, we qualify as one of the three states worthy of this gesture and we appreciate it.
“So far, we have received five trucks of rice and five trucks are on the way as we have been made to understand and all will be made transparent. We are expecting more trucks of vegetable oil, tomatoes paste, and other grains. It will be distributed with the same organogram we have been using in FCT.
“There is a composition of about 600,000 bags and 100,000 bags per area council. This goes a long way and this tells us that we should stay at home that everything will get to us.”
She also noted that if the lockdown is extended, the FCT will continue with its distribution as it has enough in its bank.
“If we go by our plans, we hope to be done with distribution by Monday and if we are done, we have enough relief in our bank and in the bank of the federal government to go on counting by the number of days of the lockdown or if it is extended. We, however, hope the cases drop soon.”
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