Governor Babagana Zulum has launched the distribution of food items to Internally Displaced Persons and the most vulnerable citizens across wards in Borno State, as part of palliatives to cushion the effects of lockdown imposed to contain COVID-19 spread.

At the Custom House IDP Camp in Muna, Jere Local Government Area, Professor Zulum announced that a large quantity of the food to be distributed at the camp was released by the Northeast Development Commission, NEDC.

He said the Commission had donated 15,000 bags of rice, 15,000 bags of sorghum and 14,000 bags of millet, while the state government was providing thousands of bags in a variety of food and wrappers.

Professor Zulum made a symbolic presentation of bags of food, cooking oil and wrappers to 4 thousand male and female households, each children and other family members.

Impressed with lockdown
In the meantime, the Governor said; ”he was impressed with lockdown and had relaxed it for Monday, Thursday, while thanking the people for the high level of compliance.”

Ramadan
Professor Zulum said; ”he would recommend the relaxation of the statewide lockdown on Monday and Thursday, to enable residents shop for foodstuff and to reduce the hardships they face during the Ramadan.”

He said the request would be tabled before the high powered response team for the prevention and control ofCOVID-19, chaired by the Deputy Governor, Mr. Umar Kadafur.

“We all know that many people do not have enough food to last them more than a day or two, in fact, many of them have to go out to work in order to get what they eat on daily basis, I have been through what the poor is facing, I know exactly what is there. I commend the high powered response team under the Deputy Governor for the wonderful job they are doing and urge them and our citizens to sustain our collective efforts. When the response team accepts my recommendation to relax the lockdown on Monday and Thursday, we expect that there will not be a gathering of any form. There must be social distancing. The relaxation should be mainly for making purchases,” the Governor added.

By Mercy Chukwudibere