From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Executive Director of Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) Comrade Idris Miliki Abdul has berated the poor handling of the fight against Coronavirus in Kogi State as it has continued to ravaged the globe.
Abdul also lamented that despite the fact that Kogi has not recorded any confirm case of CoronaVirus in the State, the committee set up by the state government seems not to have put necessary preventive measures on ground against any possible outbrake of the virus stressing that the state Government set up its committee on the 3rd of March, 2020, with 29 persons on board in the Squadron Committee on Corona Virus and Lassa Fever .
He urged Kogi State government to the publish how much has been released for this committee and what they have done with it since the 3rd of March, 2020 when the committee was setup.
The Executive Director, CHRCR ,Comrade Idris Miliki Abdul who disclosed this in a press statement made available to Journalists in Lokoja explained that COVID-19 has continue to ravage the world and Nigeria as various Government at Federal and States have continue to put different measures in place to confront this worrisome pandemic.
“It is disturbing, that since the composition of this important committee and its inauguration, the State Government is yet to release Money and materials for the committee to commence substantive activities and setup genuine isolation and testing centres across the State, as there are no equipment purchase by the State Government”,
He berated the State government over the so called isolation centre at FAREC CLINIC, saying that is a shadow of its self and it lacks modern equipment to carry-out all these important assignment.
“Despite the fact that, various Governors across the country have been speaking and addressing its own citizens that voted for them, we are yet to hear from our own governor, Alh. Yahaya Bello directly, either to speak to us on National Televisions or State Radios.
“As at today, information available to us, revealed that United Bank for Africa(UBA) donated the Sum of 28,500,000:00 (Twenty-Eight Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), ARY Consulting and Integrated Services Ltd donated the Sum of 500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand), Council of ULAMAU Kogi State donated the Sum of 200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira).”
Others are “UKOMO IGALA Organization donated the Sum of 100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira), LIVING FAITH CHURCH donated the Sum of 50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira), ABAH ADAUDU & CO donated the Sum of 100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) making a total of *29,450,000 (Twenty-Nine Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only)”.
Since the Governor has given directive that certain categories of the civil servants of the State should work from home and all educational institutions has been closed, “we expect, the Governor to also work from home and therefore surrender the Travel and Transport Allowances or the substantive of this amount to the COVID-19 committee in Kogi State to boost our health facilities and equipment”.
“We call for the involvement of all former Governors, Serving and former Senators, their House of Representative counterpart, State House of Assembly Members, Financial Institutions and all well-meaning citizens of Kogi State to donate generously towards tackling this pandemic.” the statement added.
