COVID-19 Palliative: Rep makes case for inclusion of South-East

By CHARLES IWUOHA

The member representing Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, on Sunday urged the Federal Government to include South East zone in the palliative measures against the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Ms Sadiya Umar Farouq, has reportedly been distributing relief materials, including cash, to people of the North and South West to cushion the effect of the Coronavirus on the people.

But Ogah observed that the people of South East geopolitical zone were not captured in the palliative measures and urged the minister to include the zone to give the people a sense of belonging.

He suggested that the palliative measures should be channeled through federal lawmakers as part of their over sight functions.

In a statement in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital, Ogah noted that the same problems the people in the North and South West were encountering as a result of the coronavirus pandemic were being encountered by the people of the south east and wondered why the people were not captured in the palliative measures against the disease.

“Coronavirus is in every part of the country; the North, West and South. So, it is necessary that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs to include people of south east in the cash and other items she is sharing to the people of the country as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. I suggest that every other part of the country that are not captured in the palliative measures including south east should be captured,” Ogah said.

The lawmaker called on the Governors in the country to use the period of the Coronavirus pandemic and make health care available and accessible for the people.

“This is a period for Governors to address challenges in the health sector by ensuring that the people access healthcare at their door steps. There is no other time than now.

“Let me tell you, some diseases like Lassa fever, Hepatitis B and C  are even deadlier that this coronavirus that all attention are now focusing. It is important that people access healthcare easily to prevent these diseases,” he said.

Ogah however commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the steps he has taken in curtailing the Coronavirus pandemic in the country and urged the people to rally round him to stop the virus from further spreading to other parts of the country.

He urged Senators, House of Reps members and Ministers to support the President effort by monitoring their places to ensure strict compliances to the Federal Government measures to prevent the pandemic from spreading across other parts of the country.

He expressed optimism that the nation will triumph over the virus.