The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Ekiti office, has distributed food items, sanitisers and other relief materials to elderly men and women in four selected communities in the state.
Distributing the items in Ogotun-Ekiti, in Ekiti West Local Government Area, the NYSC coordinator in Ekiti, Mrs Emmanuella Okpongete, said the scheme identified with the suffering of the people at the trying time of Coronavirus pandemic.
News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that items distributed included: six bags of rice, one bag of beans, one bag of Garri, two packets of salt and one carton of vegetable oil.
Other were, three cartons of spaghetti, two cartons of tomato paste, two cartons of `maggi’ spices, three cartons of Indomie noodles and 100 pieces of face masks. The rest were 50 bottles of hand sanitisers, 30 bottles of sprayer sanitisers and 20 bottles of hand wash soap.
“NYSC scheme is marking its 47th anniversary and this time around because of the Coronavirus and its effects on the people we decided to assist by giving out little of what we have.
“NYSC scheme is a service to the community. In putting the community first we decided to visit four LGAs and villages in Ekiti state.
“Our focus is to reach out to those who are vulnerable. We feel that giving out only the sanitisers and face marks that are produced by our corps members will not be enough.
“We decided to add food items that will be able to, at least, sustain each family that benefits for two days,” Okpongete said.
NAN reported that the NYSC coordinator also enlightened the community on the dangers of COVID-19, urging them to stay safe at all times.
In his response, the traditional of Ogotun-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Oladapo, thanked NYSC scheme for the gesture, praying that the scheme would sustain its mandate of uniting the nation.
Some of the beneficiaries, Chief Amos Ayeto and Mrs Lucia Oyebode, commended the donor, and called on others to emulate the NYSC scheme’s gesture to alleviate the suffering of the people during the pandemic.
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NAN reports that other communities that also benefitted are Ijero-Ekiti, in Ijero LGA, Ise-Ekiti, in Ise/Orun LGA and Emure-Ekiti, in Emure LGA.(NAN)