The Lebanese community in Nigeria has donated food items to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to distribute to the people as a palliative to cushion the effects of the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It donated bags of rice, bags of flour, cartons of noodles, gallons of soya oil, cartons of table water, gallons of palm oil, cartons of tomato pastes, cartons of Spaghetti and cartons of soap to the administration.

The Ambassador of Lebanon to Nigeria, Houssam Diab, while presenting the donation in Abuja, said it was part of efforts of Lebanon to cushion the effects of the lockdown to contain the COVID-19 by the Federal Government and the FCT Administration.

He called on the FCT Administration to distribute the items to the poor and vulnerable families.

“We brought these trucks of food and consumable goods as our token of appreciation to what the FCT Minister is doing on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari to keep the residents and citizens of the FCT safe,” he said.

Responding, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, said the items were the ”highest donation” received by the FCT administration so far.

According to Bello, the Lebanese community has proven true to be part and parcel of the FCT and thanked them for the gesture.

“We are pleased to receive a highly placed delegation under the Lebanese Ambassador and you can see what they have brought.

“I don’t have much to say just to thank you. It is the highest individual donation,” Bello said.

Also speaking, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, assured the envoy that the items would be distributed to the vulnerable in the territory.

“We want to say a very big thank you to you, the Ambassador of Lebanon to Nigeria and the team that all came together believing in us.

“The goods you brought today we will ensure that they are distributed across the territory to the needy. This will go a long way to cushioning the effect of the sit-at-home ordered by President Buhari.”

•PHOTO: Lebanese Ambassador to Nigeria Houssam Diab; Minister of FCT, Muhammad Musa Bello; Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijani; and Chairman FCT Ministerial Expert Advisory Committee on COVID-19, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo, during the donation of food items by Lebanese community to FCT Abuja