She did not even tell anyone when she would return to continue taking care of Victoria. She did not say where she was travelling to. We were always happy together and she made me want to live longer” Ezeugwu said, tears beginning to well up in her tired eyes.īut one day, Chiamaka, the girl helping her, took her bags and said she wanted to travel. “She was the only one I always shared stories with.
Two years ago, Ezeugwu had someone she called her daughter who always provided for her needs of food, water and ran other errands for her. After dipping her hand inside the pot, it took her several seconds to raise it to her mouth and back again for some more- a clear sign of ageing. On a hot Tuesday afternoon, Ezeugwu sat on a black wooden mortar at the entrance to her room located at Onuiyi, a community, just one kilometer away from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), dipping her shaky hand inside a pot containing Ayaraya, a locally made dish from Yam and Pigeon Peas.īeside her lay a walking stick. On days when there is no one to help with food, she sleeps hungry and only prays to wake up again the next day. She calls out for help each time she needs to ease herself and when she wants to eat. Her day literally begins and ends within the confines of her dimly lit one-room apartment. Before the entire country went into lockdown as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, she had been indoors. Since the palliatives were shared, allegations of corruption and diversion have trailed the exercise.Įzeugwu Victoria, 80, is all alone in her world of misfortune. The government distributed food items, including bags of rice, beans, garri, gallons of oil, noodles, cartons of Tomato paste, tubers of yam to local churches to pass on to their members. Cecelia Ezeilo, was set up to coordinate the distribution. Sadly, series of complaints have dogged the distributionĪ 15-member committee, headed by the Deputy Governor, Hon. In Enugu State, as part of measures to cushion the effects of the pandemic, the government commenced distribution of palliatives across its 17 local governments.
With the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant effects on the economy and society, governments have had to cushion the effect on its citizens. Arinze Chijioke who visited several communities reports Sadly, series of complaints have dogged the distribution of these relief packages, with many alleging corruption and diversion.
As part of measures to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Enugu State government commenced distribution of palliatives across its 17 local governments.
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