Plateau State Government committed 366.5 million to fight against Covid-19- Gov. Lalong

Plateau State Government committed 366.5 million to fight against Covid-19- Gov. Lalong

 

Plateau State Governor Simon  Lalong  on Friday said that the state has  committed about N366.5 million naira to the fight against Covid-19. 

Lalong made this known in his speech while meeting  with Local Government Chairmen and Traditional rulers with a view to addressing the high incidence of the disease. 

While addressing the meeting at the Government House in Little Rayfield Jos, Governor Lalong said the next level of engagement requires that all stakeholders work together for better results. 

"Additionally, we launched the Plateau State Covid-19 Endowment Fund which saw good spirited individuals and corporate organisations making donations."

He said that We are grateful to kind hearted people that contributed about N123. 3 million naira as well as other food and medical items valued at about N155 million naira. The World Health Organisation also recently donated N100 million to the State Government which has greatly helped us to treat those infected by the virus.

Such donations also enhanced our capacity to distribute palliatives to the weak and vulnerable to cushion the impact of the pandemic. The distributions have been handled in the most transparent manner under the supervision of His Excellency, the Deputy Governor, Prof. Sonni Tyoden. 

In addition, we received donations by the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) comprising of Maize Flour, Pasta, Noodles, Sugar, Salt, and Semolina worth about N850 million naira for distribution to 39,993 households across the 17 local Governments.

He said that since the COVID 19  pandemic arrived the shores of the  country, his adminstration took various steps to confront it and protect its people from its devastating consequences. 

In his words "We began with engagement and sensitization of critical stakeholders Thereafter, we took immediate steps to ensure that we guard against the disease. Some of these steps include closing all schools; ban on public gatherings, cultural festivals and anniversaries; closure of markets and borders; as well as offices and businesses.

Lalong further said that his engagements with the Federal Government as Member of the Nigerian Governors Forum and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum facilitated the establishment of three testing centres in Plateau State. In addition, we have ordered for Mobile Testing Vans which have capacity to diagnose over 30 health conditions including Covid-19, HIV, Ebola, Hepatitis among others.

He said Our current testing capacity as well as our sensitization and mobilization strategy has boosted our community testing, making Plateau State to be rated third best in the country, for which it has been commended by the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and referred to as an example to be emulated.

 We are still expecting rice consignment from the CACOVID donation which will be distributed to the beneficiaries.