The Ekiti State Government on Monday said it did not return 1,800 bags of rice donated to the state by the federal government as palliative to mitigate the effects of the lockdown aimed at curtailing the spread of the COVID-19.
The Coordinator of the COVID-19 Task Force and Director General, Office of Strategic Transformation and Delivery in Ekiti, Bolaji Aluko, made the clarification in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
” We have not rejected or returned any rice to the federal government,” Mr Aluko said while dismissing speculations that some of the bags of rice were returned because they were expired.
Mr Aluko was giving the daily update on the efforts by the taskforce to curtail the spread of the pandemic in the state.
He also said the government had begun the tracking of commuters who forcefully entered the state with a view to quarantining them.
Mr Aluko urged residents in boundary towns to give information that could help in apprehending those entering into the state illegally.
” Quarantine points have been provided in all the 16 local governments.
” To also demonstrate our seriousness, some pastors holding nocturnal church processions had been arrested and made to face the Magistrates’ courts,” he said.
The Commissioner for Health, Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, also said two children under the age of 10 were among the four newly discovered COVID-19 patients in the state.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Saturday announced that it had discovered four fresh cases in Ekiti.
” In the four new cases, there were two children of ages 10 and nine who must have contracted it through the 45-year old doctor and only active cases before the new cases.
” They are all in an isolation centre. They are responding, doing well, stable and in high spirits.
” With this new development, we have 58 contacts to trace and we have started doing that
” Blood samples have been taken and results are being awaited while the contacts tracing will also continue,” she said.
The Ondo State Food Palliative Committee has also denied rejecting the 1,800 bags of rice donated to the state by the federal government aimed at cushioning the effects of the lockdown in the state due to the COVID-19.
The denial was contained in a statement by Alex Kalejaiye, the spokesman of the committee, and made available to journalists on Monday in Akure, the state capital.
” It is pertinent to react to the publication in some national newspapers that the Ondo State Government has rejected the bags of rice supplied to it by the federal government.
“For the records, the story is untrue and sensational.
“At no time did the state governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, instruct that the rice meant to assist the state to combat food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic be rejected and returned to Abuja,” he said.
Mr Kalejaye added that on receipt of the items, the palliative committee did a random physical inspection of the rice and discovered that some appeared unhealthy for consumption on the face-value while others were good.
“The committee indeed drew the attention of Mr Governor to this and pleaded for proper guidance.
“While awaiting the thoughts of Mr Governor, the committee members met and decided to carry out a comprehensive inspection to ascertain how many bags have been affected on account of storage.
” We discovered that less than 10 percent of the lot falls into this category, and subsequently separated the few bags,” he explained.
He said it is very embarrassing that newspapers will publish reports that the state government has rejected the Federal Government’s donation.
“The state is rather deeply appreciative of the Federal Government for standing by it in this trying time and very optimistic that the support will further cushion the effects of hunger on our people.
“I want to urge journalists to be painstaking in their assignments and always put their craze for scoop in check,” he said.
(NAN)
