Citizens of Afikpo North (Amuro, Ndiebe, Mgbom, Ukpa, Amachara, Amaizu, Amamgballa, Ugwuegu, Ozizza and Uwanna communities) and Abakaliki (Edda and Okpuitumo communities) Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State have expressed great joy and fulfillment on receiving palliatives distributed by PDA on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th June, 2020. Glory Orieoma Ibiam, one of the beneficiaries, a person living with disability (PLWD), from Uwanna in Afikpo North LGA, said that the lockdown due to COVID-19 affected her business of soap production tremendously. According to Glory, “the lockdown made me to stop my soap production business. I usually buy the chemicals for my business from Enugu. But since the ban on inter-state travel by the government, getting the chemicals became a problem. I have been surviving from the capital meant for my business. Now that the money has finished, I am finding it difficult to feed myself and I cannot go back to business again, unless I raise another capital.” She further stated that she had never benefitted from any palliative since the lockdown. Thus, she expressed great joy and thanked PDA, ActionAid and Afikpo Health Support Group for the palliatives distributed, especially to PLWD. In addition, she pleaded with Government and well-meaning Ebonyians to come to the aid of the poor, especially PLWD in the communities before they die of hunger due to lockdown from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a keynote address presented by Victoria Ebere Eze, the Chief Executive Officer of PDA, she welcomed the beneficiaries, media and all present in the name of ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) and Afikpo Health Support Group (AHSG) who sponsored the event. She stated that the essence of the palliative distribution is to challenge the State Government to sit up to their responsibilities because they have all the resources to distribute COVID-19 palliatives to all the residents of Ebonyi State. Thus, Victoria explained that with the support of AAN and AHSG, PDA gave out the relief materials worth One million, one hundred and twenty-eight thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira only (1,128,750). Out of this amount, nine hundred and eighty thousand naira only (980,000) was used for the purchase of relief materials, while One hundred and forty-eight thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira only (148,750) was used for all the logistics involved. Again, she explained that AHSG contributed Fifty thousand naira only (50,000) of the total amount, and this was used to give out palliatives to 6 beneficiaries, whereas, AAN contributed the rest of the money that was used to support 102 beneficiaries.
It is worthy of note that each of the palliative packages given to a beneficiary contained the following:
- 10 kg bag of rice
- 5 packs of noodles
- 10 bulbs of onions
- A liter of vegetable oil
- A bottle of palm oil
- 25 cubes of magi
- 35 cups of beans
- A sachet of salt
Apart from putting people out of business and leaving them without hope of tomorrow, the COVID-19 lockdown has also had a negative impact on people’s health. Since the upsurge of this pandemic, all that people focus on is eating to survive from their little savings, their health conditions notwithstanding. Florence Eleje Ohia, 72, a beneficiary from Ozizza in Afikpo North LGA, who is physically challenged, expressed great joy on receiving the relief materials distributed by PDA. She stated thus; “I am overjoyed to be among the people that benefitted from this palliative. It seemed like the government forgot us. They just told us to stay at home without giving us food. Maybe they want us to die of hunger, especially elderly people like me. Look at me, I have eye problem and I cannot walk without crutches. The little money I should use to buy drugs for my health, I now use to feed myself so that I won’t die of hunger. God bless PDA, ActionAid and all those that remembered to give us these things.”
Christiana Ugochi Onya Aja, 47, is another beneficiary from Ozizza in Afikpo North LGA. She also thanked PDA, AAN and AHSG for the relief materials given to her and her community. She said that this is the first of its kind. According to Christiana; “I have four children who are just 10 years, 6 years, 4 years and 8 months old. My husband has been very sick for some months now and I have been going to building sites to do jobs in order to feed myself and family. But since this disease (COVID-19) came, my job was affected as the number of building sites reduced. Feeding in my family became a problem more or less my husband’s medications. She also lamented that COVID-19 has also succeeded in putting her children out from school; “My children can’t even go to school. Before the lockdown, government sometimes gives them food at school. But since the lockdown, nobody is asking how we are surviving.” When asked if her children follow the radio education program by the state government, she said; “I don’t have radio in my house, and I don’t know of any radio program.” When asked how her children study their books, she said: “It is when you have eaten that you can think of reading your books.”
Obinna Nkama Patrick, 28 years old, is a male living with disability. He lives with his grandmother at Amaechara, Afikpo North. He does not have any means of livelihood. In his words: “My grandmother is the only one I have since my parents passed on. As a matter of fact, I eat only when I beg. But since the virus came, people are no longer willing to give, so feeding became a big challenge to me and my granny.” With tears of joy in his eyes, Obinna said that he is so excited with the relief materials given to him as he had no hope of feeding himself and granny on the day of the event.
Christiana Oko is a 51 years old widow from Amikpo, Ozizza who has 4 children and is currently the bread winner of her household since her husband passed on, works in other people’s farms where she earns six hundred naira (600) daily. She and her children completely depend on her daily earnings for survival. She said, “we were surviving from my daily earnings. But since ‘coro’ (COVID-19) came life became very difficult for me and my children. The number of people that hire me to work for them reduced. The food that government gives my children at school stopped.” She thanked PDA and AAN for the relief materials distributed to them, and pleaded with government to come to the assistance of the poor masses by distributing more relief materials.
Recommendations
- Government should begin the distribution of palliatives urgently and now
- Government should collaborate with CSOs and CBOs using data generated to reach affected citizens and communities now, as a matter of urgency
- Government should invest through SEMA and LEMA in building the capacity of communities in emergency preparedness, leveraging competencies that exist in Ebonyi-based civic groups.
- Government should activate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act to protect victims of rape in our communities.
Summary of Persons reached.
| STATE | NO OF COMMUNTY WHO BENEFITTED | NO OF NOUSEHOLD WHO BENEFITTED | ESTIMATED NO OF PERSONS WHO BENEFITTED (TOTAL NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLD MULTIPLY BY 5) |
| Ebonyi | Edda | 10 | 50 |
| Okpuitumo | 20 | 100 | |
| Amikpo | 18 | 90 | |
| Amuro | 19 | 95 | |
| Amangballa | 5 | 25 | |
| Ndibe | 9 | 45 | |
| Mgbom | 5 | 25 | |
| Ukpa | 4 | 20 | |
| Uwana | 2 | 10 | |
| Ugwuegu | 1 | 5 | |
| Amaechara | 5 | 25 | |
| Amaizu | 2 | 10 | |
| Agba-Amaeta | 8 | 40 |
A total of 108 households benefitted as against the 93 households that was earlier budgeted, with an estimated number of 540 persons who benefitted.
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