Covid-19: Cross River to release palliative measures

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has said that his government will soon list out palliative measures to cushion the effects of the sit at home and lock down of the state directives of the government.
Speaking in Calabar, Ayade said, “We are sensitive to the challenges of locking down a state where people have barely earned their last salary.  Therefore, the social sensitivity of our lockdown must reflect in the subsequent actions we take. Against this background, I’m setting up a this taskforce with subcommittees. As I said before, this taskforce is to realise a COVID 19- free Cross River.  We are soon going to release palliative measures to cushion the effects of the lock down.”
 He said apart from the N500 million and 20 cars his government released yesterday, UBA has sent in N28m while First and Zenith banks, and others have also indicated willingness to donate towards the fight against covid 19 in the state.
“We have received the sum of N28M from UBA, we are also going to get support from Zenith Bank and First Bank. We hope that other corporate organisations will at this time come to our rescue.”
Inaugurating, a food bank task force as part of the early measures, he advised them “to ensure that citizens have access to food, access to livelihood because after the Coronavirus comes humanity. And so we must be careful so that we don’t create social vices- increased in criminality because of lack of food.  That is why the Food Bank Director- General must recognize that food supplies to the various local governments are essential.”
Ayade further mandated all his commissioners to ensure that food supplies from the Cross River Food Bank get to their local governments.
 ” I use this opportunity to announce that all commissioners are the Food Coordinating officers, supplies coordinating officers for their various local governments areas.End