Residents of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State including indigenes and non-indigenes have been assured that there will be no discrimination in the disbursement of the palliatives provided by the Rivers State Government in conjunction with other stakeholders.

Chairman of the Technical Committee on COVID-19 Compliance set up by the Bonny Chiefs Council (BCC), Reginald Hart gave this assurance in a telephone interview with Kristina Reports today in Bonny.

“We will reach everyone. We will reach the non-indigenes too. This is not the first. I have been sharing palliatives both to houses and individuals. I did not say this one is from Bonny or you’re not from Bonny.”  

In fulfillment of the promise of the State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to send in palliatives to the suffering residents of Bonny LGA, three trucks laden with foodstuffs arrived Bonny Island yesterday while another four was expected today.

Wike had during a live television interview yesterday assured residents of the area that palliatives have been sent to them and that he had also set up a committee to ensure even distribution of the foodstuffs.

Hart disclosed to Kristina Reports that the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited and the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) have also delivered the first consignment of palliatives as part of their contribution while Mobil Producing Nigeria Limited had also promised to send in theirs.

Nine trucks loaded with foodstuffs were delivered on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 and another five trucks laden with foodstuffs were also delivered today, Thursday, July 2, 2020, making a total of 14 truckload of foodstuffs donated by the Nigeria LNG and Shell.    

The palliatives are part of arrangements to cushion the effects of the impromptu lockdown imposed on Bonny LGA Governor Nyesom Wike as a way of checkmating the community spread of the novel coronavirus in the area.

The Committee Chairman further disclosed that the sharing pattern will be based on the Bonny chieftaincy house system while non-indigenes will be reached through their indigenous association leaders, noting that he was also aware of some non-indigenous associations bedeviled by internal wrangling and such situations will also be addressed with a view to ensuring every resident is carried along.   

He called for the cooperation of all residents to ensure that exercise was successful and everyone was captured in the sharing process.