As the Covid-19 Lockdown bites harder on households across Nigeria with many families unable to have three decent meals daily , Former Member , House of Representatives, Shehu ABG has distributed food items , beverages and other essentials to less privileged in Kaduna Residents who he said had been badly affected by hunger and poverty due to stay-at-home order as a measure by the state Government to curtail spread of Coronavirus.
The Former Legislator hinted that this round of palliative distribution was the second in a series of alms giving project he embarked on since the outbreak of the virus , adding that observing the Ramadan fasting in lockdown would make feeding in many households difficult.
According to him , Nigerians, particularly Muslims observing the Ramadan fasting needed assistance like never before due to the ongoing outbreaks across the world.
He disclosed that over four thousand less privileged and needy households would benefit from this current round of Palliatives in a series of continuous alms giving project that would be sustained, according to him through out the duration of the Covid-19 lockdown.
The former Federal legislator who also served as Special Adviser on Special Duties to Former Speaker , Yakubu Dogara said despite being out of public office he had not relented from his philanthropic activities to people around him and beyond whom according to him needed to be supported by individuals, corporate and business entities for the overall good and lasting peace in the society.
He opined that any Society that neglected her poor and the needy was sitting on a keg of gunpowder which he expressed fear that Nigeria was about expressing an upheaval if rising poverty and hunger were not addressed.
He however said the challenge of addressing hunger in the land should not be left to Governments alone to tackle.
” It is the responsibility of all stakeholders ; rich individuals, corporate organizations, business entities and everyone whose conscience is still active to rise up to the challenge of lifting Nigerians out of poverty and hunger.
” It unsettles me whenever I wake up every morning and realize I will have to see on my way alarming numbers of Nigerians who need one form of help or another to be able to live a near good life.
” I have been in my little way before now dolled out several forms of youth empowerment programmed aimed at reducing the number of our unemployed youth and women in our society. I intend to keep the momentum until desired goals are achieved both at community level and in the larger society, ” he disclosed.
Mallamawan Falakin Zazzau, who collected bags of different types of food items for onward distribution to people in his ward commended efforts of Shehu ABG whom he said he had known for the past Ten years due to the former lawmaker’s commitments to welfare of the people whom he said assisting them was highly rewarding and an act of ibadats enjoined by Allah Almighty on Muslims , according to him who wished to be counted among dweller of paradise in this sacred month of Ramadan.
Jibrin Hassan who represented Kawo community pledged to deliver to every household which had been listed as beneficiary of the palliatives , while commending Shehu ABG for putting a smile on the faces of the needy in the community, challenged others to emulate gestures of the former lawmaker of helping the poor.
Another beneficiary, Adamu Ya’ u on his part expressed his joy and that of his community for the palliatives, saying this was one of a kind coming at this difficult time of fasting in lockdown.