The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has on Thursday distributed food items and other palliatives to members of host communities in Bauchi to cushion the effects of the dreaded coronavirus as part of its 56th year anniversary.
The Force distributed 100 packages of food items at Gwallaga and another 100 at Durum which constitutes the host communities of the force in Bauchi.
Air Vice Marshal Charles Ohwoo, Air Officer Commanding Special Operations, Bauchi who represented the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar said the distribution of the food items were part of efforts by the military to reduce the wrath of the novel coronavirus by encouraging people to stay at home.
“Today, the Nigerian Air force is celebrating its 56th Anniversary; instead of the usual flight parades, and because of this pandemic, Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar directed us to reach out to our host communities and give our own contributions to fight the pandemic”, Charles Ohwoo has said.
He said each package of the palliatives would feed a family of four for a period of four weeks, hoping that the measure will douse fears and encourage people to stay at home.
Air Vice Marshal Charles Ohwoo said beyond firing bullets and dropping bombs, “the Nigerian Air force are also humans that can assist their fellow human beings.”
Responding on behalf of the host communities, the ward head of Gwallaga Alhaji Dandada Ahmadu described the intervention as timely.
“We thank the air force for this palliatives, and we shall utilise them by encouraging people to stay at home so that they would reduce the spread of this deadly virus”, Alhaji Ahmadu said.
Babayo Umar a beneficiary of the intervention said, “we thanked the Nigerian Air force for remembering poor people like us; my initial assumption about the army was that they know and do nothing apart from war; that perspective has changed today.
Saadatu Abubakar, another beneficiary from Gwallaga said; “this social distancing measures put in place by the state government has crippled my N3,000 business which I used to feed on.
“I sincerely thanked the Nigeria Air Force for this food items, I will use them to feed my four children and this will douse the tension we have already accumulated”, she said.
