As parts of efforts to combat the ravaging CoronaVirus pandemic and its attendant hunger, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on Friday kicked off the distribution of medical equipment and food palliative to the 25 local government areas of Delta State.
According to a statement made available to the media by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs Obi Odili, while flagging off the distribution at Iwhrekeka Community, Ughelli South Council Area, the Acting Managing Director of NDDC, Professor Daniel Pondei, said that the COVID-19 pandemic created health emergency and hunger the world over, particularly in the Niger Delta region.
Pondei, who was represented by the Delta State Director of the Commission Gochua Okejoto, said with the rising cases of the pandemic in Nigeria, there was need for all hands to be on deck to fight the virus with all available resources.
Pondei further disclosed that in response to the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, the commission committed funds to aid the fight across the region under its Emergency Support for Health and Social Programme.
He thanked the Delta State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, for his commitment to ensuring that the medical supplies and food items got to the indigent and vulnerable persons in the state.
Pondei assured that mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that the palliative got to the right people across the state.
Also, Pondei noted that the medical supplies included special diagnostic and critical care equipment such as ventilators, adding that the equipment would be distributed to the Central Hospital Warri; Central Hospital Ughelli and the Teaching Hospital Oghara.
He advised the people of the state to listen and obey the precautionary measures given by governments towards conquering the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that Coronavirus was real.
The Delta State Commissioner for Special Duties Mofe Pirah, represented by Emmanuel Amiwero, thanked NDDC for complementing the efforts of the state government at mitigating the spread and the negative impacts of the pandemic on Deltans.
Also, the chairman of the NDDC COVID-19 Distribution Committee for Delta State, Sir Bishop Oruefe, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC for meeting the needs of the grassroots in the region.
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