Two thousand, five and fifty four Onitsha indigenes have received palliatives under the second phase of the distribution scheme undertaken by the Onitsha Community Covid-19 Response Team. The exercise which kicked off on Wednesday, June 24, at Ime Obi Onicha, Ezechima Square Onitsha ended on Saturday, July 4, covered beneficiaries from all quarters of Onitsha.
The palliative packs which were distributed in strict compliance with COVID -19 safety measures contain rice, beans, vegetable oil, sachet tomatoes powdered milk, and a face mask.
His Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha (Agbogidi) witnessed the distribution process on the first day of the exercise. He expressed delight that ‘’with the support of Onitsha people, and friends of Onitsha, it has been possible to provide help to a targeted population of the vulnerable, needy, and indigent in Onitsha during this period of the Covid-19 pandemic’’, adding ‘’that moving forward focus will be on economic empowerment initiatives’’. His Majesty also drew the attention of the beneficiaries to the need ‘’ for everyone to take personal responsibility for preventing the spread of Covid-19, given that the spread of the coronavirus is real and can affect everyone, old or young, rich, or poor’’.
Beneficiaries were determined based on such two broad criteria: medical and socio -economic. The medical criterion applies to persons with physical or mental disability, and chronic illness such as heart / kidney disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension. Unemployed persons, indigent widows and ladies who are either divorced or separated and lack material support fall under the socio economic criterion.
The first phase of palliatives distributions scheme which ran from Monday, May 18 till Saturday May 23 had two thousand Onitsha indigenes as beneficiaries.
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