Members of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from Anambra have raised N125 Million for COVID-19 intervention. The funds raised will be used to help the less privileged families and persons in Anambra state while the COVID-19 pandemic rages on.
The initiative, led by Mr. Peter Obi, the immediate past governor of Anambra State, is a leading intervention and the first of its kind by any political party in Nigeria since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Some major contributors to this fund include elected officials in the PDP from Anambra, Senator Stella Oduah, Lawmaker Douglas Egbuna, respected business leader, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, and several others.
The PDP leaders collectively pledged a total of N125 million.
According to a statement by the PDP leaders made available to journalists on Saturday, May 16, 2020, the sum will be donated to up to 178 communities in Anambra State for onward distribution to less privileged families and vulnerable persons.
In an unprecedented move, the PDP pledged to set up a COVID-19 testing laboratory “within 21 days of adequate space being provided. The party called on the Anambra State Government of the Federal Government to provide a space in any of the teaching hospitals in the state or the Catholic hospitals donated to the government for the purpose of fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
“Anambra State, owing to its economic and commercial importance to our nation, deserves to have a COVID-19 testing lab in place. PDP Anambra state, is therefore committing to setting up a standard COVID-19 testing lab within 21 days of adequate space being provided by either the Anambra State Government or in the alternative, the Federal Government,” the statement read.
“We are therefore requesting the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Anambra State Government to provide us a space either at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi; the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka; or any of the hospitals in Anambra State, donated to the Federal Government by the Catholic Church; to set up a standard COVID-19 testing lab for this purpose.”
The donation will go to 60 persons and families in each community as post-lockdown community support.
Also, N42 million will be used to provide food and other items directly to all wards in the southeastern state.
From the fund, items and cash worth N15 million will be donated to Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi; Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Awka; General Hospital, Onitsha and other hospitals and health centres.
In the statement, the PDP leaders and other donors gave a message of hope and empathy stating, “With the announced relaxation of the lockdown, PDP Family in Anambra State is not unaware of the challenges facing the less privileged ones among us.”
“While we know that the Federal government and the Anambra State government will be doing a lot to help the people restart life again, we in PDP Anambra deem it imperative as a party to, once again, support our people to get back on their feet, especially the most vulnerable ones among them who might have exhausted all they had while trying to survive during the lockdown,” the statement read in part.
In making this donation, the Anambra PDP enjoined every Nigerian to work together as a family because COVID-19 is neither political, or tribal, nor religious.
