Founder of Chris Emejuru Foundation and a United States of America based Nigerian, Chris Emejuru, has called on government at all levels to employ new strategy, especially technology in sharing of palliative measures to the real vulnerable Nigerians across the country.
Emejuru believe that some of the palliative so far shared did not get to those who deserve it, hence the need to change the approach.
Speaking with newsmen in a teleconference interview on Sunday, Emejuru who said goal of is foundation is to alleviate poverty throughout the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, stated that the right approach and logistics in achieving the purpose of reaching the poor were still lacking.
“I believe that they have been proactive in their response but they haven’t addressed the underlying issues. For example, funds have been created to provide palliatives for Nigerian citizens but logistics is the challenge. How do you get these food items to the most Vulnerable? This requires a strategy and technological approach that is not currently present within the system.
“There is Cash Transfers that have been implemented but how does that deal with the overall issue of poverty? The Lockdown is helping in stopping the spread of Covid-19, but then how do you deal with the issue of hunger, lack of money, leading to kidnapping, armed robbery and other security issues. There has been some approaches through deployment of resources, but the overall strategy at the government level is lacking.”
Reacting to what he described as conspiracy theories concerning the Coronavirus, Wuhan China and Bill Gates, Emejuru urged Nigerians to disregard some of the speculations.
While narrating his personal experience about Bill Gates, Emejuru described the richest man as a good man.
“I first became an aspirant for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2017 in preparations for the 2019 general elections. I had created some awareness in the political space and gained some attention although limited. As I began to push my social media campaign, fighting for a better Nigeria, it was Bill Gates who messaged me, although indirectly, encouraging me never to give up and continue my move for the Presidency.
“Although I withdrew my ambition for personal reasons, I will never forget his kindness and sincerity. He is a humanitarian. And as a humanitarian you care about the welfare of everyone. That is something that should not be forgotten. That is Bill Gates.”
Speaking on his foundation (Chris Emejuru Foundation), Emejuru said “the goal was and still to alleviate poverty throughout the six geo-political zones (North-west, North-central, North-east, South-west, South-south and South-east).
“This will be achieved through youth Empowerment in education and training, woman engagement and by delivering palliatives (Food items, sponsorships, etc) to those most Vulnerable. Obviously, the Coronavirus Ppandemic will allow for adjustment in the implementation of our operations but we are confident we will succeed in our goal of creating a better future for Nigerians.”
When asked about his plans for 2023 general elections, the young politician said: “Right now, the focus is on my Foundation, the book I hope many will read and providing advice on how to make Nigeria better for all of the citizens. When the time is right, I will formally declare my intention but at the moment I will do all I can to push Nigeria forward and help in reclaiming its lost glory.”
Emejuru made mention of technology being one way in which Nigeria can recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, and he’d be right. Technology is crucial to coming out of this pandemic unscathed.
However, not many people are trusting of modern technology, especially not technology that would help prevent COVID. Recent studies show significant mistrust in both governmental and technological sectors, some of the mistrust coming from the aforementioned conspiracy theories.
Getting past the hurdle of mistrust is an important step for Nigeria. If we can harness these technologies, we’ll be able to keep our country from falling victim to COVID-19.
