The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has donated twoambulances, over 7,000 bags of grains, cooking oil and other items to the
Bauchi state government as part of its palliative measures to assist thegovernment to keep the scourge of COVID-19 at bay.Presenting the donation on Saturday to the Bauchi statetaskforce on lassa fever and COVID-19, the Director, audit of the commission,Alhaji Yarima Gashua, said that the two ambulances that were earlier presentedand the food stuffs being presented will no doubt help in the fight against theCOVID-19 disease in the state.
“Your Excellency sir, we are here to handover someitems as a palliative measures. As you can see, we have two items, hospitalequipment, which has already been given to you and now we are giving you otheritems”, the Director Audit said.
Items donated according to him are, 750 cartons of macaroni,7,000 of 25kg bags of rice, 500 bags of 25kg maize flour, 1,700 gallons ofvegetable oil, 1000 cartons of tomatoes paste, 2,000 packets seasonal cubes,700 cartons of spaghetti, 750 packets of salt, 700 bags of beans, and 2ambulances.
The state taskforce Chairman on Lassa fever and COVID-19,Senator Baba Tela while receiving the items on behalf of the Bauchi stategovernment, thanked the commission for the gesture.
“First of all I would like to on behalf of theexecutive governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed convey our profound and heartfeltthanks to the NEDC for giving us these palliative items”, Baba Tela said.
“We have come a very long way since the establishmentof the commission with them and we appreciate what they have been doing notonly to Bauchi state but to the north east region”, Baba Tela who is alsothe deputy governor of the state added.
He recalled that the Bauchi state government has reached anagreement with the commission to establish testing centre for the COVID-19pandemic in the state as requested by the state government and will be sited atthe specialist hospital.
“The Bauchi state government has already identified thebuilding that is going to house the testing centre and has provided the fundsfor the renovation of the building to the standard of the Nigerian Centre forDisease Control ( NCDC) and my understanding is that the NEDC is going toprovide the machinery required for the testing and we appreciate that”,Senator Tela explained.
The deputy Governor who disclosed that the state governmenthad recently received protective equipment from the commission listed the itemsto include,1,800 pieces of personal Protective equipment, 2 ventilators and1000 pieces of surgical mask.
Others received according to him are, 500 packets ofordinary face masks, 32 thermometers, 4000 packets of hand gloves and 4000pieces of hand sanitizers which were provided about a month and half ago.
Baba Tela who said that the items received earlier havesince been put to use in the cause of the pandemic promised that new palliativeitems donated today will go a long way in fighting the scourge of the COVID-19in the state.
While assuring the commission that all the items donatedwill go down to the people that really need them, the deputy Governor said thatthe state government is also putting a lot of money in the fight againstCOVID-19 Pandemic.
“The state government is going to substantially add tothe palliative items so that it could reach to nook and crannies of thestate”, he said.
