COVID-19: NIGERIANS IN DIASPORA DONATE N48 MILLION PPE TO FRONTLINE WORKERS
Oru Leonard
Nigerian Diaspora COVID -19 Eradication Support Fund as well as other Diaspora Groups mobilised funds and procure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), worth a total of Forty- Eight Million Naira.
The Minister of State Foreign Affairs Amb. Zubairu Dada along side Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa presented the items to the Chairman and Members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja.
The Minister acknowledged the contributions of Nigerians in Diaspora and urged them never to always remember home.
In the same vein, the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa disclosed that every state is captured in the distribution of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), for frontline medical and para medical staff in all the Teaching Hospitals across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The Chairman Presential Task Force on Covid-19 Boss Mustapha represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Mr Olusegun Adeyemi Adekunle who received the Fifty-three thousand and thirty-six items commended the wisdom of the Federal Government for establishing the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission for galvanising the Donations. He said collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NiDCOM will continue as he urged citizens to take responsibility by sticking to the directives given by government. “The action of Nigerians in Diaspora reflects our culture”, he added.
Meanwhile the National Coordinator COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu said the Donations will escalate areas of coverage especially for the frontline workers. He urged more Nigerians to get involved to fight deadly pandemic still ravaging communities.
Also speaking, Dr Abdullahi Dauda and Ms Aisha Lekki from NIDO America who represented the Donating diaspora groups, assured Nigerians of their continued support adding that the Covid-19 war is a long war that requires unity to fight and win.
“This is phase one, we are going to continue getting more palliatives and items that are needed working with the NiDCOM and the PTF”.
” All the items in this effort were bought locally. The complete set of PPEs are durable , reusable and of very high quality which are donated by the Nigerian Diaspora Covid 19 support group, were all produced in Nigeria by Nigerians, because we want to contribute to our nation building, we want to contribute to our economy”, he stated
Abdullahi urged all Nigerians to get involved to fight the deadly pandemic still ravaging communities.
The items donated were combined effort of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, Americas, Nigerian Diaspora Covid-19 Support Group, The Association of Nigerians Physicians in the Americas, ANPA, and NIDO, China.
