The Taraba Technical Committee on COVID-19 says the state government has identified the most vulnerable citizens for possible palliatives to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Chairman of the committee, Dr Innocent Vakkai, told newsmen on Tuesday in Jalingo that the palliatives were still being worked out.
Vakkai noted that at the moment, only hand sanitisers had been distributed to the citizens through the Muslim Council and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The state government had earlier announced the shutting down of schools, churches, mosques and markets, while it also banned interstate movement, among other measures.
A tricycle operator, Mr Jerry Oliver said that though government had allowed them to operate from 8 am. to 2 pm. daily, the lack of freedom to operate throughout the day had greatly affected them
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Oliver said that government should try to provide necessary palliatives to cushion the effects of the lockdown on the people of the state.
Mrs Hauwa Abdullahi, a food vendor in Jalingo, also said that the continued partial lockdown of the state was having a negative effect on her business which she was using to feed her family.
She called on government to provide support for people during this period.
Mr Abubakar Aliyu, the Chief Executive Officer, Maigodia Centre for Youth Development, described the delay by government in providing palliatives as unfortunate.
He accused the government of not showing enough seriousness with the COVID-19 pandemic because no case had been recorded in the state.
Aliyu noted that Taraba had some borders which it shared with the Republic of Cameroon, which had so many COVID-19 cases.
He urged the government to show serious commitment in putting things in place to enable people stay at home to check the outbreak of the disease in the state.
