By EMMANUEL NZOMIWU

Residents of Enugu State have pleaded with the State Government to assist them with palliatives to ease the difficulties they were facing as a result of the measures and restrictions introduced to tackle the COVID 19 pandemic.

The measures introduced by the State Government include the closure of state borders, markets, ban on all social, cultural activities and religious activities, including marriage and burial ceremonies, cultural festivals and drinking joints.

Restrictions were also introduced in the public transport system with drastic reduction in the number of passengers expected to commute in commercial vehicles, commercial tricycle (Keke) inclusive, in order to observe the social distancing measure.

Following the extension of the restrictions and measures for another two weeks, Some Enugu residents who were interviewed by Independent, appealed to the State Government to assist them with palliatives to ease the difficulties they were facing.

One of the residents, Mr. Kenneth Ugwu, a trader, said if a state like Ebonyi was providing palliatives for its residents, Enugu should do the same.

Ugwu who spoke with our correspondent, said he was waiting anxiously for the palliative as the lockdown was taking its toll on his family of five.

Similarly, another resident, Mrs. Jacinta Ede, called on the state government to be sensitive to the plight of the citizenry by providing them with food and other essential commodities as palliatives in this unusual situation.

“We complied with lockdown because we want this pandemic to go but at the same time, government should not allow hunger to kill us at home,” Ede said.

When contacted by Independent, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chidi Aroh Esq., urged the people to be calm.

Aroh who noted that there was no provision in the 2020 budget for COVID 19 palliatives, said the State Government focused its attention on the treatment of the two cases in the State, to ensure that they become stable.

“Our attention now is on critical medical issues like Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), extra allowances for workers in the front-lines and group assurance for medical workers. That is stage one. Government is coming.”

“Once government feels that there is need for palliatives, government will act. You cannot be talking about palliatives without treatment, without stabilizing the two cases we have here,” Aroh said.

Reminded that a state like Ebonyi was providing palliatives for its citizenry, Aroh said Enugu and Ebonyi were not the same.

The Commissioner made it clear that Enugu was not in competition with Ebonyi State, adding that everything done in Enugu was guided by a master-plan.

“While we acknowledge efforts of our sister states so far, you should understand that each state reacts to its immediate and environmental circumstances,” Aroh said. (Daily Independent)

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