The World Health Organisation (WHO), on Tuesday, reported that coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Africa as at May 26, had risen to over 115,000.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, gave the update on its official twitter handle @WHOAFRO.
“There are over 115,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent – with more than 46,000 recoveries and 3,400 deaths,” it said.
The figures showed that South Africa, Algeria and Nigeria had the highest reported cases in Africa.
According to the report, South Africa had 23,615 cases and 418 deaths followed by Algeria with 8,503 cases and 609 deaths, while Nigeria had 8,068 confirmed cases and 233 deaths.
It stated that Ghana had 6,808 reported cases and 32 deaths, while Cameroon recorded 4, 890 confirmed cases and 165 deaths.
The report said Lesotho, Seychelles and Namibia were countries currently with the lowest confirmed cases in the region.
It said Lesotho had only two confirmed cases with zero death; Seychelles had 11 reported cases and zero death, while Namibia recorded 21 confirmed cases with no death.
Meanwhile, as at May 25, the novel coronavirus had infected more than 5.4 million people and killed over 344,000 worldwide, according to John Hopkins University.
In Nigeria, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of
Enugu State has distributed COVID-19 palliative to the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Tricycle operators and Motorcycle association in Enugu North senatorial zone of the state.
Presenting the items which included bags of rice, cartons of noodles, cartons of spaghetti, cartons of tomato paste, pieces of fabric face masks , bags of semovita and Jerry cans of groundnut oil, to the leaders of the three groups at Adada House Premises, Nsukka , the governor, who was represented by the Deputy Governor , and Chairman, Enugu State Palliative Committee, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, said that the items were donated to the State government to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the people.
The deputy governor told them that the state government has been going round sharing items. “We went round and shared items to Ndi ogbo mmanu(labourers). His Excellency recognises everybody and appreciates the difficulties we are going in now, as we are suffering because of the lockdown ”
She appealed that people should observe safety rules, noting that” before now, we do not wear face masks. We are doing this to safeguard our lives. To protect my life and to protect your lives. You wear it, keep a social distancing so that a drop of saliva from your nostril will not drop and touch me and mine will not touch you” You wash your hands always and use hand sanitizer so that if there is any virus it washes it off. So, it is important for us to observe the safety measures.
“In observing it, the Federal Government directed there should be a lockdown to minimise human interaction in order to minimize the spread of the disease. Coronavirus has brought a lot of problem to our people. Banks are not opened, offices are closed, markets are closed, all to contain the spread of the disease , and the government is aware of the people’s sufferings, that’s why the government made available these items to be shared to the people to cushion the effects of the lockdown , she said.
The items were NURTW , 2000 bags of 5kg rice, 100 bags of 10 kg rice, 100 cartons of noodles, 30 cartons of spaghetti, 150 bags of.semovita, 20 gallons of oil, 45 cartons of tomato paste
For Okada, 50 bags of 50kg rice, 150 bags of 10 kg rice, 200 cartons of noodles, 150 bags of semovita, 30 Cartons of spaghetti, 20 gallons of oil. 50 cartons of tomato paste.
Items for Keke association were, 800 bags of 5 kg rice, 200 of 10kg rice, 150 cartons of noodles, 150 bags of semovita, 50 cartons of spaghetti, 20 gallons of oil and 50 cartons of tomato paste.
The Deputy Governor said that “the local governments involved here, that will get their own shares here are Uzo -Uwani, Nsukka, Igboeze south and Igbo Etiti.
10,500 pieces of fabric face masks were also shared.
Speaking at the event, member, representing Nsukka East State constituency at the Enugu State House of Assembly, Chinedu Nwamba, said that the governor gave the palliative to that the hunger associated with COVID-19 will not kill the people.
In his remarks, member representing Nsukka West State constituency in House of Assembly, Dr. Emma Igworah, thanked Ugwuanyi for the gesture.
He noted that he has been doing good to the people. ” The governor’s humanitarianism is second to none”The lawmaker assured that the items will get to the people they were meant for.
Earlier in an address, the deputy chairman of Nsukka local government area, who represented the chairman, Patrick Omeje, thanked Ugwuanyi for remembering them.
“Thank you for coming again to Nsukka as you have always done. This is a special one because COVID-19 is a very dangerous sickness that knows no bounds. We are thanking you for what you have done for our people. “He pledged support for governor Ugwuanyi -led administration saying, “We are promising you that we in Nsukka local government will continue to carry out good governance to our people and we assure you that whatever you brought here today will be shared to the people that they were meant for.
In their votes of thanks, leaders of the three groups, covering Keke, okada and NURTW in Nsukka local government area, thanked the state governor, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his kind gesture to them.
The chairman of the NURTW , Nsukka described Ugwuanyi as “the last hope of the common man” He said that nobody remembers them but Governor Ugwuanyi does.
Similarly, at Orba, Udenu local government area, the deputy governor delivered the same items to two groups, members of Keke drivers association and NURTW.
Addressing the gathering, the deputy governor thanked the two local government areas, Udenu and Igboeze north for their support to the state government.
“We are here to distribute palliative for the two local government .The palliative as you all know, is to cushion the effect of the lockdown. You will observe for sometime, all the banks are closed, all the markets are closed, workers don’t go to work anymore, most offices, including privates are closed, state and local governments and private , individuals made support contributions to alleviate the effects of this lockdown.
There are most of you who are at home, taking into o cognizance, that’s why we brought some items to cushion the effect,’ she said.
She gave the breakdown of the items as, ” Okada association 40 bags of 50kg rice, 100 bags of 10kg rice, 170 cartons of noodles, 150 bags of semovita, 20 cartons of spaghetti, 20 gallons of oil, 50 cartons of tomato paste and some packets of fabric face masks (750 pieces per local government).
For Keke association, for each local government, 500 bags of 5 kg rice, 100 bags of 10 kg rice, 70 cartons of noodles, 40 cartons of spaghetti, 150 bags of semovita, 20 gallons of oil, 40 cartons of tomato paste, 750 pieces of fabric face masks.
In a welcome address, the chairman, Udenu local government area, Solomon Onah, thanked Ugwuanyi and Mrs Ezeilo for their good governance in the state. He said that for 14 years, Ugwuanyi had been supportive to the people., brought the people of Nsukka together.
Onah, said that COVID-19 is real. He added that Governor Ugwuanyi was first governor in the country that had given palliative to Okada, Keke and NURTW. He pledged support to the state government and prayed God to strengthen the governor and his team as they move Enugu State forward.
In her brief remarks, the commissioner for Inter ministerial, Mrs Mabel Agbo, described Ugwuanyi as a man with a large heart , a man who does not discriminate against anyone. “That’s why he is sharing palliative to everyone. He is a man that remembers his people.
Former Leader of Enugu State House of Assembly, Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, thanked the state government for providing the palliative, saying “The palliative has nothing to do with election”.
“There is no election tomorrow, there is no election next year and there is no election in the next two years. COVID-19 brought confusion to the world. Palliatives were being shared to the people. The government knows that you people exist and remembered you in a special way”, Ezeugwu said . He therefore called for prayers that God will wipe away the COVID-19 disease.
In their remarks, leaders of Keke drivers and NURTW in Udenu Local government area, thanked the Ugwuanyi for his kind gesture to them.
They assured him of their continuos support to his administration.
Dignitaries at the occasion were the Commissioner for Transport, Mathias Ekweremadu, Chairman of Udenu local government area and Enugu State ALGON chairman, Solomon Omaha, Leader of Enugu State House of Assembly and member representing Enugu South Local government area, Sam Ngene, Commissioner for inter ministerial, Mrs Mabel Agbo, Secretary of the committee and Executive Secretary, SEMA, Mrs Nkechi, representative of CSOs in Enugu State, chairman of Igboeze North Local Government area, Engraved Ejike Itodo, among others.
