BPE Donates Food Items To Dutse- Alhaji Community In The FCT

BY CAMI EZENWA

Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex A. Okoh has appealed to Nigerians to adhere strictly to the guidelines provided by the health authorities against contracting Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Okoh made the appeal while presenting 300 bags of assorted food items to the less-privileged at Dutse- Alhaji, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on Monday, April 6, 2020.

The BPE DG said the gesture was on behalf of the Bureau in pursuit of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ideals.

He said it was informed by the bureau’s conviction that the responsibility to end the pandemic rested on all Nigerians and not only the government.

A release signed by Amina  Tukur Othman Head, Public Communications and sent to The Eagle, said the DG urged the community to imbibe the habit of social distancing, frequent washing of the hands with soap and other guidelines stipulated by the health authorities.

He said the Bureau was moved to embark on the gesture given the hardship  Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable amongst them, were subjected to in the face of the lockdown occasioned by the ‘Stay-indoors’ order by  the Federal Government to stem the pandemic.

According to him, the food items which were neatly packaged and comprised various food types, would serve the beneficiaries for seven days even as he said in distributing the items, preference would be given to widows and single mothers who were targeted to get 60 percent of the items and the remaining 40 percent to other vulnerable persons in the area.

Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex A. Okoh (left) presents a pack of the food items to a male beneficiary.

Some of the packaged food items before distribution to the beneficiaries.

He noted that women were the most vulnerable in crises situations as this, hence the priority on them.

Okoh said the Bureau had an affinity with the Dutse-Alhaji   community, recalling that the Bureau’s maiden CSR project which was the renovation of class room blocks in a primary school, was executed in the community about 18 months ago.

Receiving the food items on behalf of his community, the Traditional Ruler, Chief James Shawo (Dakachi Dutse-Pe) commended the Bureau for the gesture and said “BPE has etched its name in gold for identifying with the community at its time of need”.

He said a criterion had been worked out to ensure a just and even distribution of the items to the beneficiaries.