COVID-19: Delta Non-Indigenes Condemn Nepotic Distribution Of Govt, ADU Palliatives

Non-Indigenes resident in Asaba and Okwe in Delta state on Friday, April 24, frowned at the manner of distribution of food items meant to cushion the effect of Covid-19 lockdown in the state.

They said their greatest challenge and fear has been hunger not the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

A respondent who spoke to journalists in Asaba; Mrs Alice Okowon described the manner of the distribution of the palliatives as an exhibition of wickedness and intimidation.

The Non-Indigene said, “It is very bad, the government made the lockdown for everybody yet they are sharing the food items to their people alone. On Wednesday they brought the items, they said it is for the Indigenes.

“Though the rice is three cups and a tuber of yam, we should be part of it no matter how little. This is our home, like me I was born here, I pay my tax here, I cast my vote here, so why are we not included in the list. Why have we been sidelined in Asaba?

“Again, today a team of the Asaba Development Union (ADU) came to share food items, they shared only to some Asaba Indigenes. We went there for them to give us, they refused insisting that it is only for Indigenes.

“We are seriously faced with hunger worse than the coronavirus. We fear hunger not coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world. We can no longer feed well again and our. stores have been locked down.”

“The palliatives measures the state government, politicians and the Asaba Development Union claimed it has been sharing has not in any way reached us. The distribution is marked with a high level of discrimination. We are suffering, the lockdown in the state is killing us.”

“They should not come to us again during election time. They should go to only the Indigenes to vote for them.”

Another respondent who is an Asaba Indigene, Isidi Monica condemned in strong terms the manner of sharing of the palliatives by the Asaba Development Union.

She said, “You need to be alive to contract the virus; you cannot contract the virus in death. Both the Indigenes and Non-Indigenes are battling with hunger.”

“Its terrible that no one is allowed to go out and work, how will they feed? Some of the Non-Indigenes want to return to their place yet they are not allowed to travel back home. They are hungry and want food to survive”

“Everybody deserves to survive this trying period in Nigeria irrespective of where you come from. As long as you are resident in Asaba, you should be considered for the palliative”.

“I am from Asaba and I have been following the distribution of food items by the ADU, the manner of distribution of food is bad and marked with a high level of discrimination. I speak for everybody who have been ignored by the union.

“Coronavirus or hunger does not know Indigene or Non-Indigene, so the distribution should reach any vulnerable resident in Asaba”.

They lamented the situation across the state as pathetic, especially the lockdown and dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed by the state government.