COVID19: Kogi State govt receives 27, 000 face masks from socio – cultural body; govt says pandemic deserves Gov Bello approach
Kogi State government has received 27000 face masks as palliative from the Igala socio – cultural association, ICDA which said the gesture was to assist government in addressing the scourge of the vurus.
Making the donation in Lokoja on Monday, ICDA President, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Amodu said the gesture was part of their clarion call on all well meaning citizens of Kogi State to support government any ways they could so that the scourge could be defeated.
He expressed joy that the state was one of the only two remaining states in the country yet to register any Coronavirus positive results and expressed hope the record would be sustained till the end, adding that it was also a contribution of their quota to assisting the squadron.
Alhaji Sadiq said the donation was the first time that ICDA was stretching hands of friendship to other tribes and organisations in the state in such meaningful way to show unification gesture, stressing that the motivation was in tandem with Governor Bello’s EBIGO agenda which seeks to replace self and tribal interest of old.
“It should have become clear to even the blind that His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello is daring, different, creative and courageous in service to the people. We are proud that the Governor is helped in the task of managing this state by our own son who is the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Edward David Onoja (CIK).
“We at ICDA commend the Governor’s unparalleled efforts to keep Kogi State safe and secure. His Excellency’s appointment of 21 grassroots oriented gentlemen as his Senior Special Assistants on Security. That innovation has borne abundant fruit as the synergy between them and the various security agencies, including our own Kogi State Vigilante Services, and coordination of the State Security Adviser continues to checkmate criminal activities across the state.’
He also expressed appreciation to the administration for the efforts to prioritise payment of workers’ salaries in this CoviD-19 period, even when a large chunk of the workforce have been at home for the past 2 months.
He added that the government has also done well to review the 2020 state budget downwards. This is definitely a proactive and smart response to economic contractions from dwindling revenues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Receiving the items on behalf of Governor Yahaya Bello, Chief Onoja applauded the body for deeming it necessary to make the donation. He praised the body for also involving other groups from other parts of the state in the donation.
He said the gesture has showed that the Ebigo Agenda which the present administration preaches had come to stay as people of the state are more United than they have ever been and encouraged them to continue in that regard.
Chief Onoja said the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello has always prioritised the oneness of Kogi citizens above any other interest, a step that he urged other states in the country to emulate.
He said the strategy being adopted by the present administration in the fight against the virus has been applauded by many economists, including former CBN Governor, Prof Charles Soludo because it shows that Governor has the interest of the state at heart.
He stated that the best strategy is by facing the enemy (Coronavirus) head – long, as the best form of defence is attack, because any relaxation would be counterproductive.
Speaking, the Commissioner for health, Dr Haruna Saka, who allayed fears being peddled by mischief makers about the state having no capacity to carry out tests, said the state has every capacity to tackle the pandemic.
He praised members of the squadron for their dedication to ensuring the state remains free from Coronavirus, saying their regular sensitisation of the people of the state has paid off in view of the negative results the state has continued to maintain.
In their separate addresses, the leadership of both the Ebira People’s Assembly (EPA) and the Okun Development Association (ODA) praised the efforts of the state government to ensure continued zero Coronavirus patient in the state.
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