The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has inaugurated a
\ncommittee for the distribution of palliatives to cushion the effects of
\nCoronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic on the people of the Niger Delta region.<\/p>\n
Speaking during the inauguration of the committee at the NDDC
\nheadquarters in Port Harcourt, the NDDC Acting Managing Director, Prof.
\nKemebradikumo Pondei, said that setting up of the committee was another
\nresponse of the commission to COVID-19 and the effects of the lockdown
\nto assist the Niger Delta people.<\/p>\n
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer was joined by the Acting Executive
\nDirector, Finance and Administration, Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang and the
\nActing Executive Director Projects, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, during the
\nceremony.<\/p>\n
Pondei charged the committee, which has Mr. Soboma Jackrich as its
\nChairman, and Rt. Hon. Victor Antai as the secretary, with all the state
\ndirectors of the Commission, to assuage the pains of the lockdown on
\nNiger Delta people.<\/p>\n
He said: “We decided to come up with this palliative measure to reach
\nout to Niger Deltans, especially the vulnerable ones in the region. We
\nrecognize the fact that the lockdown will make it difficult for people
\nin the rural areas.<\/p>\n
“We need a good strategy to be able to reach the poor and vulnerable.
\nFor effectiveness, the committee will need to work with traditional
\nrulers and religious leaders.”<\/p>\n
In his response, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Soboma Jackrich,
\nassured that they would ensure that the palliatives got to the people at
\nthe grassroots.\u00a0 “This is what we have been doing, we have the passion
\nand the compassion to carry out this task.” he said.<\/p>\n
The NDDC Interim Management and members of the committee later inspected
\nthe items for distribution at the two warehouses of the Commission. They
\nincluded food items such as bags of garri, rice and beans. Others are
\npalm oil, indomie noodles and biscuits. The palliatives also included
\nsanitizers, wheel chairs, crutches, inhalers among others.<\/p>\n
The NDDC had earlier released over N1billion to assist governors of the
\nnine states of the region in the fight against the pandemic, including
\nN775 million for palliative to youths, women and the physically
\nchallenged, as well as another N270 million to fast-track the
\nestablishment of isolation centres in the 27 senatorial districts of the
\nregion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has inaugurated a committee for the distribution of palliatives to cushion the effects of Coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic on the people of the Niger Delta…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":72966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"yoast_head":"\n