COVID-19: Okowa Breaks Silence Amid Hunger Crisis In Delta

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has break his silence on the situation of the food palliatives he promised to release to low income people in Delta state, amidst hunger protest in Sapele, on Wednesday.

The COVID-19 lockdown in the state which began April 1, was extended by another 14-days by Governor Okowa who promised to open a ‘food bank’ recently established because of the hardship posed by the restrictions.

“We have also put up a food bank and we are getting the last supplies of our initial orders and by the grace of God, in the next 48 to 72 hours, food will be sent across to support those who do not have access to food in all wards of the State”, the governor had said during a state broadcast.

However, barely 48 hours after the broadcast, women joined by some children, poured into the streets, accusing the state government of insensitivity in the extension of the lockdown done without first sending relief materials to them.

Police says the protest was later hijacked by hoodlums.

But the governor Thursday, urged Deltans to exercise restrain as the distribution of the food items would commence Friday devoid of party’s affiliation, saying that he feels the pulse of the people at this critical times.

The governor spoke via his verified twitter handle after he inspected the food storage facility located in Ibusa, near Asaba which he established to cater for low income earners within the period of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The governor said that he inspected the facility to see the level of preparedness for the distribution of the food items to Deltans to cushion of effect of the COVID-19 lockdown.

“As we prepare to begin the distribution of food items to low-income families across the 25 LGAs in Delta State, today, I inspected the food bank warehouse at Ibusa, to assess our level of preparedness, he tweeted.

BIGPEN reports that so far, the state has recorded four cases of coronavirus with the latest recorded in Asaba, the state capital.