A coalition of Civil Society Organisations, ‘Say No Campaign’, on Thursday, called for the house to house distribution of palliatives by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to encourage social distancing.

In a statement in Abuja, the co-convener, Say No Campaign, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu, said the call had become imperative, as the distribution of palliatives so far negated social and physical distancing measures.

Nwagwu said that the three-day distribution of palliative items of rice, semovita, sachets of tomato paste, Maggi, and garri to the residents of Kwali Area Council of the FCT, ended on Thursday.

He noted that most households were reported to have received their share.

‘Say No Campaign’, through its anti-corruption network in Kwali, noted that while most households were given an equal share of the palliative items, the married, aged, and people living with disabilities were prioritized in the process.

“The reports we have gathered indicate that residents were largely satisfied with the items received as well as the modalities for sharing.

“Community members across the 10 wards were instructed to remain in their respective homes while the items were to be delivered to them.

“However, there were reports of people gathering in clusters on the streets receiving these food items,” he said.

Nwagwu, however, noted that both the distributors and beneficiaries of the relief materials, in some places, clustered to receive their items.

He stressed the need, therefore, for the FCTA to consciously avoid the crowd and clumsy methods of distribution that encouraged individuals clustering around delivery trucks or distributing officials.

Nwagu said that similarly, FCTA needed to adequately coordinate and strategize with the chairmen of the area councils and their ward councilors for a more effective house to house distribution.

He said that this was in order to avoid what he described as “mobile sharing”.

Nwagu suggested that the list of beneficiaries earlier collected across all wards could be a good starting point at ensuring an orderly distribution.