Umahi charges churches on Lassa fever awareness campaign

• Ebonyi to pay monthly stipend to families of fallen heroes
Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has urged churches across Nigeria to organise regular enlightenment campaigns against Lassa Fever to curb the spread of the virus disease that has claimed about 40 lives in 10 states of the federation.

The governor also pledged to pay monthly stipends as well as free transportation to process pension payments, to families of fallen heroes and members of Nigerian Legion.

Umahi said this during an interdenominational church service at the weekend, to mark the 2016 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Abakaliki, adding that the decision to pay the stipend was geared to ameliorate the suffering of legioneers.

Acknowledging the Nigerian legion for the supreme price they paid in keeping the country together, Umahi directed his Senior Special Assistant on Welfare and Religious Matters, Rev. Father Abraham Nwali, to take head count of the families of the fallen heroes to enable his administration come up with the monthly allowance.

Umahi said, “I want to congratulate and celebrate you, our Legion. I needed to find out your number in our state because we are not very sure of the number. Rev. Father Nwali would see how we can number the family of the fallen heroes in Ebonyi State and how we can put them on monthly stipends to assist them.

“We shall do this together with the Legions who are alive. We will also give you monthly stipend and shall provide funds to transport you when you want to collect your pensions.”

The governor, who commended President Muhamadu Buhari for the war against Boko Haram, called on Christians to always pray for their leaders.