By Abolaji Adebayo
To ameliorate the suffering of his constituents during the ongoing month long stay-at-home order by the Federal government as a measure to curtail community spread of the deadly coronavirus, the Member of the Federal House of Representatives in Oshodi-Isolo Constituency II, Hon. Ganiyu Johnson has given palliatives to 2,500 households in the constituency.
The palliatives which include food, packed in cartons made up of noodles, spaghetti, semolina, wheat, macaroni and bags of 50 kilogrammes of rice were given to leaders of the various groups in the constituency to be shared to their members in line with the social distancing order of government.
The beneficiary groups include Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), League of Imams, Community Development Associations (CDAs), Artisans, Arewa Group, Igbo Group, South/South Group, Traditional Rulers, The Elderly/Widows Associations, SOS Orphanage Home and others.
While sharing the relief packages at his constituency office in Isolo on Wednesday, Johnson said the support was given for the people of the constituency to co-operate with the government to win the war against COVID-19 pandemic by obeying the directives of government on social distancing, personal hygiene by washing their hands with soap regularly, use of hand sanitizers and sit-at-home order.
He stressed that the extension of the lockdown by President Muhammadu Buhari by another 14 days was not punishment but a measure to ensure that Lagosians and Nigerians at large stay alive.
Johnson who spoke through his personal assistant, Hon. Ismail Aregbesola said, “It is my hope that this food will reach all the households and mostly the vulnerable people among you. We want our people to be safe, and that is why we have decided to provide these palliatives. We also want our people to co-operate with government and its agencies on the fight against the pandemic. If you are not exempted from those who should be outside, please sit at home. The extension is not to punish you. It is meant to keep you alive.
“If you co-operate with government we will win the battle against the pandemic. Government does not plan to punish you by asking you to sit at home; it is for your good.”
While appreciating Johnson for the good gesture, Hon. Segun Olatunde, the Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman of Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Community Advisory Council said the items would be distributed to all the 57 CDAs in Isolo and 110 CDAs in Ejigbo LCDA.
He promised that the relief package would be given to the vulnerable among them, maintaining that with the lawmaker’s promise to send more to them, nobody would be left out.
Ajibola Babafemi, coordinator of Isolo CAN, who represented the association in the constituency, stressed that the palliatives would help to keep the constituents at home, promising that as a faith based organization, the association has been able to reach out to its people through social media, encouraging them to maintain social distancing and personal hygiene.
He said he was particularly impressed with the number of items received, reiterating that it would help to keep the people at home.
While calling on other government officials to emulate Johnson, Mrs. Magdaleen Kpou, a representative of the South/South group, commended the lawmaker for handing over the relief packages to the group directly.
She promised that the group would not have any challenge sharing the food because they were given enough, unlike other times when people were injured each time government sent palliatives to them.
