Accra, April 19, GNA – To support the vulnerable and needy to cope with the COVID-19 stay at home restrictions, the Tobinco Group of Companies, on Sunday, distributed food items valued at GH¢220,000.00 to 2,000 households in the Greater Accra Region.
The beneficiary communities include Kotobabi, Mamobi-Nima, Agbogbloshie, Old Fadama, Chorkor, and Pig Farm.
Each household received a box containing a 5kg bag of rice, some gari, onions, mackerel, sardines, a bottle of non-alcoholic wine, a bottle of cooking oil, tin tomato, sugar and biscuits.
The house-to-house mode of distribution, was to prevent overcrowding and ensure that the social distancing protocol and ‘stay home’ directives were adhered to.
Dr Samuel Nana Amo Tobbin, the Chairman of the Tobinco Group of Companies, explained that at this critical moment, when the nation was battling with COVID-19, individuals and corporate bodies had to show more love to the needy.
“Don’t wait to get too much before you help others. If people are not getting food to eat and you can send a little mobile money to help them, please do it,” he encouraged.
“A woman approached me and said she was ready to give out her daughter to me to be used for an advert of any of the Tobinco product, just so I could give her food to eat. This touched my heart and I realised the extent to which people needed support in this challenging moment of COVID-19.”
He, therefore, commended benevolent entities for supporting the Government to contain the effects of the pandemic.
Dr Tobbin, however, urged them to prevent overcrowding during the distribution to prevent the spread of the disease.
“That is why we decided to move from house to house to share to families. The excitement with which people ran to meet us meant they were expecting help in this difficult time,” he said.
“This means if the food were distributed on the streets, many of them would have run to the streets, which would have made it impossible to observe the social distancing protocol.”
The Group Chairman advised the public to observe the COVID-19 safety measures by washing their hands often with soap under running water, using hand sanitizers frequently, observing social distancing protocol, avoiding touching the eyes, mouth and nose, and covering the mouth or nose with disposable tissues when coughing or sneezing to stay safe.
“However, I plead with everyone that if you are not among the essential service providers, then stay home because that is the only way we can emerge victorious over this novel Coronavirus and save this nation,” he added.
The Tobinco Group earlier donated some of its products and medical items valued at GH¢251,000.00 to the Ministry of Health to help in the management of the respiratory disease.
The items include, Tobcee Chewable Vitamin C plus Glucose tablet, Zinvite blood capsules, B-G-Glutamine plus tab, Omal hand sanitizers, face masks, aluminium veronica buckets, and hand washing bowls.
The Group constitutes Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, Samuel Amo Tobin Foundation, ABii National Savings and Loans, Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre, Priority Insurance, Atinka Media Village, Entrance University and Entrance University Hospital, D’or Events, and Toblues Properties Limited.
As at Sunday April 19, 2020, Ghana had recorded a total of 834 confirmed cases of the COVID-19, with 99 recoveries and nine deaths.
It has tested more than 60,000 persons.
GNA