Students of tertiary institutions in Abia State who could not travel before the ongoing COVID-19 necessitated lockdown in the state have received palliative items from the State Government through its inter ministerial committee on COVID-19.
The items which included rice, yam, noodles, hand sanitizers and cash for conveying the items back to their respective institutions, were handed over to them by the Chairman of the inter ministerial committee on COVID-19, Barr Chris Ezem, through Presidents of the respective Students Unions, at Government House, Umuahia.
Speaking during the presentation, Barr Ezem emphasized that the items were only for those who could not travel home before the lockdown and ban on inter state movements. He urged them to ensure they remain safe wherever they are by observing all the guidelines issued by the committee and NCDC on social distancing, wearing of face masks and regular hand washing with soap under running water. He further appealed to the students to eschew anti-social behaviors such as cultism, rape, exam malpractices, and promised that more items would be made available to them in due course.
He charged the students to join Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in the campaign against the spread of COVID-19 in the state and stressed the need for them to stay at home emphasizIng that Government would not want any of her students in the State to be infected hence the continuing closure of schools in the state.
Responding, the Students Union Government President of Abia State University, Uturu, Comrade John Nwakanma, and his counterpart from Abia State Polytechnic, Comrade Onyema Chiadikaobi, lauded Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for giving palliatives to all segments of people in the society and extending same to stranded students in the State. They promised to share the paliatives as directed and assured that the students in Abia State would continue to support the present administration to ensure that the State maintains the lead in the comity of States.
The institutions that benefitted from the palliatives include: Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, Abia State College of Health Sciences and Management Technology, Aba, Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, School of Nursing in Aba, Amachara and FMC Umuahia, respectively, School of Midwifery, Aba, FMC and Abiriba, respectively, Abia State Universty, Uturu and Michael Okpara University, Umudike
