Some residents of Maiduguri have commended the Borno Government for embarking onward toward the distribution of palliatives in the city.
A cross-section of the residents who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, said that the development was commendable and would go a long way in cushioning the hardship faced by beneficiaries in the cause of the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.
Nura Salisu, a former councillor of Hausari ward in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, said the criteria being used to distribute the palliatives to ensure it gets to the needy, were satisfactory.
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“Governor Zulum deserved commendation by his constant monitoring and participating in the distribution of the palliatives to ensure that the right thing is done,” Salisu said.
Two of the residents, Falmata Mustafa and Sani Musa of Gwange ward also lauded the gesture and called for another opportunity for those who missed out in the list of beneficiaries to be considered.
Also, Abubakar Ibrahim of Mairi ward said that the palliatives had arrived at the ward but were yet to be distributed to beneficiaries.
“We are excited about the arrival of the items which comprised grains and cooking oil, among others, stockpiled at Maimusari primary school.
“We don’t know when they will start sharing just as they did in other wards but we want to say thank you Gov. Zulum, for matching your word with action,” Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim said that though his name was not in the list of beneficiaries, he had no issue with that as far as those listed were truly the poorest of the poor as explained by the palliative committee.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of Network of Civil Society Organisations in Borno (NECSOB), Amb. Ahmed Shehu lauded the commencement of the distribution of palliatives to the needy by government and stressed the need to expedite action on the exercise.
Shehu said NECSOB had a situation room monitoring the lockdown, and that it had received some complaints and suggestions on the distribution of the palliatives, which is forwarded to the government for necessary action to improve the exercise.
On her part, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, the Chairperson of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) who doubled as the Secretary of the State Palliative Committee, said about 23,000 households in Maiduguri metropolis had benefitted from the gesture to cushion the effect of the lockdown.
“Our formula for the distribution of the palliatives is 10 per cent to persons with disabilities, 20 per cent to the elderly, 20 per cent to widows and the remaining 50 per cent to poorest of the poor,’’ Kolo said.
While assuring that they would look into complaints based on merit regarding the sharing of the palliatives, Kolo said the committee had so far covered nine wards in Maiduguri metropolis.