By Francis Sardauna
The federal government has donated 139 trucks of food items and relief materials to the Katsina State Government for onward distribution to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) within the eight front line local government areas of the state.
The items are also to be distributed to 83,039 vulnerable households in the state as palliatives to ease the effect of the lockdown resulting from the action taken to curtail the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic by government in the state.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Social Development and Disaster Management, Ms. Sadiya Farouq, presented the items to the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, at the Government House Saturday evening.
She explained that the aim of the donation was to cushion the economic hardship faced by the IDPs and vulnerable persons affected by the lockdown.
The minister affirmed that the recent attacks by bandits in the state has led to the loss of lives and displacement of many people from their ancestral homes.
She lamented that bandits have continued to threaten the peace and livelihood of people in the affected communities of the state, adding that: “But also it is noteworthy that Mr. President has given the directive for decisive action by the military to bring an end to this menace.
“I am here to commiserate with the people of Katsina State especially those directly affected by the nefarious activities of banditry that bedevilled the state for a long time.
“Consequently, as actions are being taken against the bandits, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development through the National Emergency Management Agency delivered relief items to provide succour to the affected persons.
“We have deployed 13 assorted items comprising rice, beans, gari, vegetable oil, salt, mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets and buckets. These items are for distribution to the affected persons in the eight Local Government Areas of Dutsin-ma, Batsari, Safana, Danmusa, Sabuwa, Faskari, Kankara and Batagarawa.”
Meanwhile, the minister also presented assorted grains as palliatives for distribution to the vulnerable persons affected by the lockdown in the state.
She said: “The items are made up of 1,975.84 metric tonnes of maize (65 trucks), 300.02 metric tonnes of millet (10 trucks) and 1,876.11 metric tonnes of sorghum (63 trucks) to cater for 83,039 households.”
Responding, the state Deputy Governor, Yakubu, commended the federal government for the gesture and vowed to distribute the items to the beneficiaries.
