COVID-19: Shehu Sani reaches out to Kaduna inmates, religious centres, NUJ with palliatives

A former lawmaker in the 8th Assembly, Sen. Shehu Sani on Thursday, donated food items, face masks and hand sanitizer to inmates in the Kaduna Correctional Centres.

Sani, who was the Committee Chairman, on Local and Foreign Debt at the time, said the move was part of efforts to contain the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus (COVID-19) into the various custodial centres and places of worship in the state.

He also donated same items to newsmen in the state, to also help prevent the spread of the pandemic in the state.

The Senator who represents Kaduna Central also made similar donations to Bishara Baptist Church and a Mosque in Rigasa Community, saying he had decided to move from talking to working the talk, in the prevention of the killer disease.

“What I did is to demonstrate that it is not only about asking people to isolate, go for test or wash your hands, but also providing them with the tools to actually do it.

“Our government has the resources to provide enough face masks to all our 200 million people and there is enough resources to provide hand sanitizers to all of this population.

“It is not just enough to ask people to close down their businesses, shops and their means of livelihoods without providing them with incentives or palliative measures.

“What I did is to also demonstrate my love for the people and desire to contribute my quota toward the prevention of the spread of the dreaded disease,” he said.

According to him, there is need for politicians to seek what they can do for the masses at this critical time, the same way they approached them during the electioneering campaigns.

“It is unfortunate that our politicians are quick to share rice, salt and fabrics during electioneering campaigns, but cannot provide hand sanitizers, face mask at a tragic period of an emergency like this,” he said.

While appealing to citizens to unite in action against the killer disease, he warned against paying lip service to the reality of the dreaded virus.

Sani also expressed worries that some religious leaders had refused to heed to the advice given by medical experts and other constituted authorities on the importance of isolation, washing of hands social distancing.

”We have seen how some religious leaders have decided to engage in sermons and preaching that undermined efforts at containing this dreaded virus,” he said.

He however, appealled to government at all levels to provide palliatives to citizens to cushion the effect of the stay at home directives.