COVID-19: Support the needy with palliatives
By Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim
The coming of coronavirus, months ago, has put the people of Nigeria into yet another difficult situation despite the tough times being witnessed already.
Unfortunately, this coronavirus pandemic brought about physical distancing, resulting to lockdown in many parts of the world and movement restrictions in some locations. Due to the novel coronavirus, businesses have been shut down and millions are recorded as losses daily.
As such, labourers, small and household entrepreneurs find it hard to survive. There are poor people who don’t have foodstuffs in their houses. They feed their families with wages earned on a daily basis. They work before they earn. These are the categories of persons in need of assistance from their fellow human beings, not only from the government in this instance.
People are said to have suffered in some locations due to hunger caused by the imposed lockdown in some states of the country as part of the measures put in place by the presidential task force on COVID-19 to contain and prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. As such there is an urgent need by individuals, groups and governments at various levels to bring help to humanity by providing food or palliatives otherwise known as relief materials to at least the vulnerable people in the society, if not everyone.
We, as human beings, have our various roles to play for the betterment of our society. In order to stand up altogether, we have to, start with the little we have. It is needless to say that we are waiting for wealthy people to start helping the needy. We all should start.
To stress how important it is to help one another, especially in times of difficulty, the religion of Islam teaches and encourages the acts of helping one another; giving special care to the less privileged, orphans etc.
Our efforts of serving humanity through foundations whose main purposes should be helping orphans and the weak ones are paramount. We can plan, coordinate and distribute foodstuffs for thousands of poor households with support drawn from various individuals.
It is true that our future depends on our vision. We have to work for our future right from now. The Nigeria we want is possible if only we are ready to change our attitudes. We can reach our peak if we are ready to start implementation and shun lamentation.
Without coming together, in other words, brotherhood, we cannot succeed in the future. Therefore, we will keep under-developing. We have to stand up and walk the talk. We still have time, the sun is not yet down.
*Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim writes from Gombe State. He can be reached via awwalbinibrahim@gmail.com
