Lebanese community in Kano on Saturday donated food items and other essentials  worth over One Hundred Million Naira (N100m) to the Kano State government as their contribution to the state palliative programme as a result of the COVID-19 crisis engulfing the  global community.
Presenting the items to the State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Consulate General of Lebanese Community in Kano, Â Mr Khaleel Musulmaniya, listed the commodities to include 30 Tonnes of rice and 2,000 packets of spaghetti.
Others are 1,000 bags of Dawavita of 1kg, 500 packets of Juice drinks, 1,548 Hand Sanitizers, 1,500 Protective Garments, 20 boots, 500 cartons of WAW detergent, among many other items.
He said “Your Excellency we are giving this in order to give our helping hands in alleviating some of the sufferings of those needy individuals in the state, during this situation.”
After assuring that, the Lebanese community share with Kano people both good and bad situations, he further maintained that “We are always supporting what the state is doing as quick and proactively response against the COVID-19 situation.”
Immediately after receiving the items governor Ganduje handed them over to the Chairman of Fund Raising Committee, Prof Muhammad Yahuza Bello. Then the governor was taken round the warehouses where all items were stocked.
Prof. Bello commended the Lebanese community and disclosed that, they are always up and doing in anything that has to do with the development of the state.
“Another good thing about our people here is that, even before the coming of this deadly COVID-19 crisis, our people are good at helping the needy amongst us.
Our Committee has also recently got another contribution from Poultry Farmers Association, that donated 2,000 cartoons of eggs. Which we have already given out to Children’s Home,” he reveals.
He gave a story very touching of one young girl of 10 years old who was saving her money for Sallah festivity, when she heard of the Fund Raising Committee to assist the needy in the state, “…she came forth and gave her donation of Five Thousand Five Hundred Naira (N5,500). All her savings.”
“We are assuring His Excellency and the people of Kano state that whatever is collected from corporate bodies and individuals will be used judiciously. And we will also liaise with the main Task Force Committee on COVID-19 to see how we can locate people in hospitals who have been there even before the coming of this COVID-19 crisis,” says Professor Bello.
The Committee Chairman discloses that they would submit their interim report to the governor by Monday, to let him know how far they have gone in the assignment given to the committee.
In his remarks governor Ganduje commended them for the donation and appreciated that the Lebanese community in Kano have been in the state for over 100 years, emphasising that, ” Some of them you are seeing here their grand parents and parents were all born here. Not only them being born and bread here.”
After thanking them for being helpful in whatever happens to the state, the governor also commended Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Alhaji Abdussamad Isyaka Rabi’u, among many others who are forthcoming in this direction.
“You are all aware that Alhaji Aminu Dantata donated the sum of Three Hundred Million Naira (N300m), Alhaji Aliko Dangote donated a 600-bedded Isolation Centre, which is to be cited at Kofar Mata stadium, Alhaji Abdussamad Isyaka Rabi’u is on another project of another Isolation Centre, which is two-storey building on Court Road and many more people and corporate bodies that are up and doing,” he said.
