On Wednesday, the Lagos State Government initiated the distribution of 20,000 bags of food items to religious bodies within the state as a measure to alleviate the prevailing hardship.
This initiative, spearheaded by the state Ministry of Home Affairs, follows recent protests highlighting economic challenges in Lagos and other parts of the country.
Following the protests, the state government committed to implementing additional palliative measures to mitigate the impact of economic difficulties.
Of the distributed bags, 10,000 consisting of 10kg of rice, 5kg of beans, and 5kg of Garri were allocated to Muslim communities, while an equal number went to Christian organizations.
During the distribution event at the Lagos State Auditorium in Ikeja, Special Adviser to the Governor on Religion (Islamic), Abdullahi Jebe, emphasized Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s efforts in disbursing palliatives to various sectors like Community Development Associations and Committees.
Jebe explained, “Today’s distribution targets religious groups – Muslims and Christians. We are simultaneously distributing 10,000 bags to Muslims. We are starting the distribution today, initially delayed due to the protests.
“Our plan includes distributing 3,000 bags to Muslims in each of the five divisions of Lagos today and repeating the distribution tomorrow. An additional 3,000 bags will be given on Monday. We will also extend this support to other Islamic organizations. Each bag contains 10kg of rice, 5kg of beans, and 5kg of Garri,” Jebe stated.
Similarly, Special Adviser to the Governor on Religion (Christian), Adebukola Adeleke, confirmed the distribution of 10,000 bags of “Ounje Eko” to Christian bodies in the State’s 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas.
Permanent Secretary, Home Affairs, Adewunmi Ogunsanya, lauded the governor’s decision to provide palliatives to Lagos residents, aiming to alleviate hardship.
He revealed the ongoing distribution of 20,000 bags, with 10,000 designated for Muslim bodies and another 10,000 for Christian organizations.
“This palliative intervention targets the underprivileged in society across all sectors of the state. 10,000 bags are allocated to the Islamic faith and another 10,000 to Christian bodies,” Ogunsanya explained.
Ogunsanya added, “Our choice of the auditorium as a centralized distribution point aims to facilitate the process. We plan to distribute 3,000 bags daily. Today, 94 organizations, including Islamic groups like NASFAT, are set to collect their share on-site.”
“It is worth noting that the governor established a Governor’s Advisory Council for this purpose. Today’s distribution is a direct result of the Council’s work.”