No fewer than 500 widows in Enugu West senatorial zone, comprising of Udi, Ezeagu, Oji-River, Awgu and Aninri local government areas, on Friday, benefitted from the Victims Support Fund (VSF) COVID-19 palliative donated to the state to cushion the effects of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The donation of the items, which included bags of beans, bags of rice, condiments, groundnut oil, bags of garri and pieces of fabric facemasks, were supported by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Presenting the items at the beneficiaries at Udi local government area, the Deputy Governor, who was represented by the Deputy Leader of the Enugu State House of Assembly and leader of the delegation of the State palliative committee , Jeff Mba, informed the beneficiaries that the items were donated by a non-profiting organisation, Victim Support Fund, VSF, chaired by a former Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. T. Y. Danjuma (rtd).
“Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi supported and said 100 widows be given the palliative in each local government The Governor felt the pulse of the people, the sufferings they were passing through at this COVID, -19 lockdown. Your children were not going out to make money the way they used to go, you have nobody to give you the way they used to give you, that is why we brought these to you”, he said.
Mba disclosed that COVID-19 is real, advising that they should wear their facemasks, wash their hands regularly, observe social distancing and other safety measures.
He prayed God to bring to an end COVID-19 .
Speaking on behalf of other recipients, Mrs Nkiru Orji, thanked Ugwuanyi and Danjuma for the gifts.
“The Governor is good to the people. He has a good heart”, she said.
Mrs Orji prayed God to bless Ugwuanyi, Danjuma and members of VSF Group.
Commissioner for Transport, Mathias Ekweremadu, thanked the people for their support to the Ugwuanyi-led administration.
He prayed God to protect everyone and that the spread of COVID-19 disease should come to an end.
The representative of Udi local government chairman, and Supervisor for Works and Transport, Ejikeme Onoh, thanked Ugwuanyi and the Victim Support Fund for the palliative.
He assured that the items would be shared to the beneficiaries judiciously.
He prayed God for safety of the donors and the people as well.
In Ezeagu Local government area, leader of the delegation, Jeff Mba, told the beneficiaries that the governor felt concerned over the plight of the people, the problems they were passing through “especially at this period of COVID-19 lockdown”.
Presenting facemasks to the beneficiaries, member representing Ezeagu state constituency, Chuma Obieze and Commissioner for Transport, Mathias Ekweremadu, urged women to always wear their facemasks in public.
They prayed that COVID-19 pandemic should come to an end
A beneficiary, Mrs Virginia Chiawa, thanked governor Ugwuanyi for the gifts.
Similary, in Oji-River, Awgu and Aninri local government areas, leader of the delegation presented the items to the beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries thanked Ugwuanyi and the VSF team for their kind gesture, prayed God to bless them and bring the spread of COVID-19 to an end.