Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has donated some food items to Muslim clerics in the state as part of measures to cushion the hardship occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor who distributed the items on Thursday to the clergy through the state COVID-19 palliative committee urged the state Islamic leaders to evenly share the items among the targeted beneficiaries.
In his remarks, the state COVID-19 Palliative Committee Chairman, Ambassador Desmond Akawor who was represented by Mr David Briggs emphasized that only the state Muslim clerics should benefit from the palliatives.
He added: “This virus (COVID-19) is real and it has caused so many harms to individuals, families and businesses. For this reason, the governor has decided to give food palliatives to all the 23 LGAs of the state and today is for Muslim clerics.
“We are here to give to our Muslim brethren, the following items: 30 bags of rice, 30 bags of garri, 30 bags of beans, 100 cartons of noodles, 5,000 tubers of yam, 30 cartons of Maggi, 10 bags of salt, 10 jerrycans of 25 litres of oil and 300kg worth of fish.”
Receiving the item list from the palliative committee, the State Islamic Leader and Vice President General, Rivers State Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Nasir Awhelebe Uhor thanked the governor for the gesture.
He said: “I want to sincerely express the gratitude of the Muslim community here in Rivers State to governor Wike for his magnanimity in considering us with these palliatives.
“And we want to assure the governor that we will do everything possible to share these palliatives to those he wanted these food items to be given to.”
Also, the State Sole Administrator of the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board. Alhaji Abdulrazak Deprieye and member of the state palliative committee said: “We are here now to handover these palliatives to the Muslim clerics under the Rivers State Council for Islamic Affairs as part of the state government’s efforts to cushion the effect of the
COVID-19 pandemic.”
Two beneficiaries, Barr Aribitonye Mohammed Okiri and Alhaji Halliru Imam who are both executive members of the state Islamic council told our correspondent how they feel about the palliatives.
They said: “We, first of all, thank the Almighty Allah for giving us a governor in the person of Barr Nyesom Wike who has the human passion.
“It is historical in the state because this is the first time Muslims are getting palliatives.
“We believe that these palliatives will go a long way in reducing the hardships facing some Muslim clerics in the state.
“We are very happy about receiving these food items from the state government through its COVID-19 palliative committee.”
