COVID-19: Umahi releases N200m for palliatives, signs bill into law

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state Thursday released the sum of N200 million as palliative measures to caution the effect of hardship the people may experience during sit at home.

He said the money will be used to buy food items such as bags of rice, tomatoes and other food items that would be distributed to the masses to ameliorate their suffering and make life more comfortable for them.

Umahi made this known while signing into law the Ebonyi State Coronavirus and other Dangerous Infectious Diseases and Related Matters bill.

The law was passed on Wednesday by the State House of Assembly.

While signing the bill into law in Abakaliki, Umahi warned against hoarding of foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the State adding that refusal to provide foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the State for citizens to buy shall be an offence.

He noted that artificial inflation of prices of foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the State shall also constitute an offence.

He said: “To hoard foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the State or refusal to provide foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the State for people to buy shall constitute an offence”.

“Where a person breaches any of the above, the culprit(s) shall be prosecuted in accordance with the Law and there shall be seizure and forfeiture of the foods, drugs and other essential goods to the State, and in addition, such forfeited foods, drugs and other essential goods shall be utilized for the purposes of alleviating the supply needs in the State”.

The governor who directed that the security agencies, committee members or others so designated by him to effect and ensure strict compliance to the law,further said, “the law also prohibits the transmission, or dissemination through a computer system or network or otherwise false information regarding COVID-19 within the State and other Dangerous Infectious Diseases and or any circumstances related to”.

“Promotion of unverified, untested, or unapproved cures, vaccines or other similar medicinal items that purport to cure, alleviate or reduce instances of persons infected, or believed to be infected, with COVID-19 or any other Dangerous Infectious Diseases within the State is prohibited”, he proclaimed.

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