A Non Governmental Organisation, Victim Support Fund (VSF), has, as part of its fight against COVID-19, donated food, palliative and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth N120 milion to Ekiti State government.

The NGO, chaired by the former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, said the food palliative would help in cushioning the effect of lockdown on the poor and vulnerable.

It added that the PPE will prevent the contraction of the deadly malaise by medical personnel, saying Nigeria can’t afford to loose its Doctors and Nurses to avoidable deaths being caused by Coronavirus.

Materials donated include; 2,060 bags rice, 2,060 bags of beans, 2,060 Sachets of salt, 2,060 bags of garri , 2,060 4 litres of groundnut oil, 50,000 face masks, 30,000 sanitisers and 290 medical equipment like goggles, jackets and boots.

The NGO’s Executive Director, Prof. Sunday Ocheche and Chairperson, Emergency Support programme, Mrs Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, while presenting the materials, said the VSF COVID-19 Task Force has donated to 12 financially challenged states, but regarded as being accountable and transparent in the management of the pandemic.

Prof Ocheche said the private- funded NGO conceptualised and formed in 2014, has consistently provided succour for victims of insurgency in the Northeast and has been reaching out to poor and vulnerable under this emergency situation to palliate their sufferings .

“VSF is a private funding partnership with a mission to mitigate the effect of the lockdown on the vulnerable and the poor. We appeal that these materials should be distributed to the right people so that its effect can be felt.”

Akerele-Ogunsiji clarified that the intervention became expedient following hunger caused by lockdown and reported cases of lost of medical personnel to COVID-19, despite their paucity in Nigeria.

“Nigeria has been suffering serious deficit under COVID-19 and that was why the VSF COVID-19 Task Force had visited 12 States with open records of accountability and transparency in financial dealings to intervene and give psychosocial supports to people.

“Since we started this battle, many have lost their jobs with no other means of livelihoods and we have remembered the poor and vulnerable as well. The lockdown won’t be effective when people are hungry, they will surely go out to survive.

“We are concerned about not losing any of our doctors and nurses to the pandemic. We appeal that these materials should be distributed to the right people who truly deserve them.”

Receiving the materials on behalf of the state government, the First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, said the donation will complement the state’s food bank for the elderly, where palliatives were being distributed to people since the lockdown began in Ekiti.

Mrs Fayemi added that the state would have had many COVID-19 victims, but for the proactiveness of the Governor Kayode Fayemi-led government in the management of the novel medical challenge.

“We want to appreciate the VSF for listing Ekiti among the benefiting states. The present government has done a lot for the people in terms of palliatives since this COVID-19 crisis started.

“No sector can say we have not reached them. We have reached out to Okada riders, market men and women, widows, elderly and all categories of people considered as poor and vulnerable.

“We want to assure you that these materials will be distributed to people who are genuinely needy, it will get to the right places,” she assured.