STRATEGIC APPROACH TO PALLIATIVE MATERIALS DISTRIBUTION IN THE ERA OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN KWARA STATE: THE CSO’s PERSPECTIVE

STRATEGIC APPROACH TO PALLIATIVE MATERIALS DISTRIBUTION IN THE ERA OF COVID 19 PANDEMIC IN KWARA STATE: THE CSO’s PERSPECTIVE


The COVID-19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of our time. The outbreak was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, declared to be a public health emergency of international concern on 30th January, 2020 and recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11th March, 2020. According to the WHO, COVID-19 has morphed from a small outbreak to a pandemic, which the WHO deems a public health emergency of international concern and a socioeconomic crisis affecting everyone.

Indeed, the virus traveled in a borderless world, and challenged public and private health systems in more than 196 countries. No doubt, the new novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has posed an unprecedented challenge to governments worldwide. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was announced on 27th February, 2020 when an Italian citizen in Lagos tested positive for the virus. In Kwara state, the first case was recorded on 6th April, 2020.

The Federal government in its bid to curb the spread of the virus had to impose a lockdown. This lockdown was based on Global best practice in curtailing the spread of the virus. Several state governments followed this direction by introducing a lockdown on activities while few state governments imposed curfews. Only those providing essential services were exempted and allowed to move around. The government of Kwara State announced the lockdown on 25th March, 2020. There is no doubt that COVID-19’s induced lockdown affected the general economy and financial capability of Nigerians in general and Kwarans in particular. The lockdown affected different facets of human endeavors and brought untoward hardships on citizens.

The Kwara State government reached out to business organisations and well meaning residents of the state to contribute in cash and kind in order to cushion the effects of the lockdown. Several organisations as part of their corporate philanthropic activities and individuals as part of their humanitarian gestures contributed immensely in this regard in cash and kind. Food materials like semovita, rice, spaghetti, vegetable oil, etc were donated. Similarly, other materials like hand sanitizer and mattress were also donated.

The proactive government of Kwara State in its bid to alleviate and ameliorate this hardship set up a sub-committee led by a First Class Monarch; Emir of Tsonga, Dr Haliru Yahaya Ndanusa to come with a strategy on how relief materials in form of palliatives can be provided to categories of identified poor people such as the aged, widows and widowers, physically challenged and artisans who earn daily income.

A week into the distribution exercise, youth within Ilorin, the state capital where the distribution had began, flooded the social media with criticisms on the palliative materials shared within their communities. Though the sub-committee distributed the food items through the traditional institutions, and had earlier engaged the service of a Community Based Organisation (CBO) named Mekunu Agenda Forum (MAF) in monitoring the distribution process, the distribution did not meet peoples’ expectations and they did not hesitate to condemn it.


To address this backlash and ensure efficient and effective distribution of these palliatives, the sub-committee in its wisdom sought the services of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to ensure fairness, transparency and equitable distribution of these palliatives. Ten (10) CSOs that heeded the call include Impact Driven Initiative for Sustainable Development (IDISD), Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENETSUD), Youth Advocacy Health Foundation Nigeria (YAHF Nigeria), Meadows Community and Development Outreach (MCDO), Brain Builders International (BBI), Theios Caregivers Initiative, Grassroot Democracy Monitoring and Advocacy Centre (GDMAC), Media Advocacy and Technologies Centre (MATEC), Org. for the Sustainance of the Nigerian Environment (OSNE) and Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE).

As the distribution continued to the sixteen (16) Local Government Areas (LGAs) made up of 193 wards, the Committee invited more CSOs and trustworthy individuals to join the monitoring exercise. This set includes four (4) more CSOs namely Hashim Initiative for Community Advancement (HICA), Hannis Institute for Development Studies (HIDS), League of Women Voters of Nigeria and Voice of Ilorin Community and Environs. The eight (8) individuals that joined the monitoring team include Imam Kamaldeen, Aliu Ridwan, Luqman Adana, Muhammed Sanni Ismaila, Abdulrasaq Dayo Ahmed, Abdulbasit Ahmed, Abdulrahaman Abdulbaqi and Aliyu Abdulrahaman.

With the exception of Baruteen and Kaiama LGAs, distribution of relief materials in every other LGAs were witnessed and or monitored by the above CSOs and individuals.  This improved the transparency score of the project by the citizens. Twenty million naira (#20, 000,000) was allotted to each of the following eight LGAs: Baruteen, Edu, Kaiama, Moro, Pategi, Ekiti, Isin, and Oke-Ero. The remaining 8 LGAs which are Asa,  Ilorin east, Ilorin south, Ilorin west, Ofa, Irepodun, Ifelodun,  and Oyun  received food items ranging from rice, semovita, spaghetti, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, garri to tomato paste.


IDISD was involved in the monitoring of distribution of palliative items from 9th April, 2020 when CSOs were first invited till the distribution ended at Moro LGA on the 5th of May, 2020. Specifically, IDISD monitored the distribution of food items or cash at Wara/Osin ward (Ilorin west), Balogun ward (Ofa), Aboto/Odu-Ode and Agbona/Elebue/Fata wards (Asa), Igbaja Ward II (Irepodun), Oke Opin/Etan ward (Ekiti), Edidi ward (Isin) and Arobadi ward (Moro). IDISD was also involved in the monitoring of palliative food items distributed to People living with Disabilities (PWD).

 

Social Media Link:

https://web.facebook.com/IDISD

 

This article is written by Hanafi Olanrewaju Rabiu and edited by IDISD Editorial Board:

 

Wahid Damilola Olanipekun (PhD)- Editor

Suleiman Musa-                               - Asst. Editor



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