Enugu Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has disbursed relief materials to People with Disabilities (PWDs) and other vulnerable persons to cushion the effect of COVID-19 lockdown.
The items included bags of rice, maize, millet, cartons of noodles, assorted beverage drinks, tomato paste, seasonings and bottles of water.
Special Adviser to the governor on education, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, who doubles as the State Focal Person for Open Government Partnership (OGP), monitored the distribution of the items across the state.
Addressing beneficiaries at Udenu Local Government Area headquarters during the flag-off of the exercise, Dr. Ude said Governor Ugwuanyi had instructed that the items be distributed directly to beneficiaries and that nobody be allowed to receive any item by proxy.
“We targeted PWDs for this special exercise, because they are the most vulnerable in the prevailing emergency situation, which is the lockdown over the Coronavirus pandemic. Many of these people survive by daily charity they receive from spirited individuals and they have now been constrained to stay at home.
“But as a concerned governor and in his usual compassion, magnanimity and attentiveness to his people, has given you relief materials and delegated me to supervise and ensure that they are judiciously shared among the real target recipients across the state,” Ude said.
PWDs’ representative in the state’s OGP Steering Committee, Samuel Obiefuna, praised the governor for the largesse, pointing out that Ugwuanyi had always cared for them and given them a sense of belonging.
He said Ugwuanyi through the stimulus package had demonstrated his immense love for the poor and the PWD.
Meanwhile, the Enugu State Government has directed all Tricycle Operators in the state, popularly known as “Keke Riders”, to limit their operating time between 6am and 7pm daily, with effect from Monday, April 13, 2020.
A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, stated that the decision was in furtherance of the state government’s efforts to sustain its robust response to contain the spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the state, as well as provide maximum security for residents.
The state government added that “the earlier Executive Order issued by His Excellency, the Governor, that every ‘Keke’ should carry a maximum of two passengers at a time remains in force”.
The statement maintained that “any Keke operator found in contravention of the above directive shall be apprehended by the security agencies and dealt with according to the law”.
It would be recalled that the Association of Tricycle Riders Transport Union (ATRTU), Enugu State, had reminded its members that the directives by the Enugu State government that all tricycle operators in the state should be carrying two passengers only and should not operate beyond the state’s land boundaries, to contain the spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), are still in force.
In a statement by the Chairman and Secretary of the association, Comrade Benjamin Ejiofor Ikah and Comrade Pius N. Ezugwu, respectively, the reminder was “sequel to security reports that some tricycle operators have started carrying more than two passengers and are also operating beyond the state’s land boundaries in total defiance of the state government’s orders”.
According to the statement, “these urgly acts are capable of sabotaging the cherished and tireless efforts of our dear Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, in containing the spread of this deadly virus”.
The Union, therefore, warned “those involved in these acts to immediately desist from them by carrying only two passengers and stop operating close to or beyond the boundaries”.
It disclosed that “furthermore, our taskforce has been directed to apprehend and hand over to the police any tricycle operator caught violating the government’s directives in this regard”.
