Kunle Adelabu
Pepc Foundation, a developmental and humanitarian non-governmental organization, has positively responded to the unfortunate CONVID – 19 pandemic that is threatening the global village and which has led to the lockdown in Lagos and Ogun States as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), thereby inflicting social and economic hardship on the citizenry.
The foundation, which was launched in December 2019 at Adegbose, Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ikorodu Division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, is aiming to provide food items for 400 households in Ikorodu in form of humanitarian intervention while a total of 50 households are targeted daily.
The intervention is themed, ‘Pepc Foundation’s Emergency Food Relief Program in support of local communities’.
According to Barr. Luqman Akinsanya, the President/lnitiator, Pepc Foundation and sponsor of the social intervention, the social program is just the foundation’s way of reliving people of the hardship caused by the lockdown.
In each of the packages given to families were rice, spaghetti, vegetable oil, salt and bread.
The distribution of the relief packages commenced on Saturday, April 4, 2020, and the first place to be visited was the Tuagaga Community where, incidentally, the father of the iniator of the Pepc Foundation, Alhaji Kola Akinsanya, a retired senior police officer and President of the Ikorodu Grassroots Football Development Forum, is the Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA).
About 60 households were given the relief packages on the first day of the exercise in Aga area of Ikorodu.
Another 50 families also benefitted from the gesture when the foundation visited Aga/Ijomu and Anibaba/Shafun/Owode area of the Ikorodu Local Government to distribute the food items to vulnerable residents, elderly people and other needy.
The foundation went into streets and houses to identify and present the packages to those that are really in need of the relief packages, especially during this period of lockdown.
Mr Aro Ganiu Abodun, 1st Vice Chairman, Tuagaga Community Development Association, speaking after Pepc foundation had delivered 25 packs of food items to the community, stated that:
“We appreciate Pepc foundation for this gesture. There are many out there with resources but who find it difficult to give and for someone to have decided to give, it’s something that is commendable”, he stated.
“The Holy Quran also approves of such act. Anyone that gives never lacks anything and what you sow, you shall reap.
“We thank Almighty God that none of us is affected and for the fact that this deadly disease did not start in African because we do not have the capacity to tackle it. It’s possible that it would have erased us but for the privilege given to us by God, we are still alive to witness today”, he stated thankfully.
“We are thankful to God and also appreciate Pepc foundation for this gesture and we pray to God that He should continue to bless the foundation. The initiator of the foundation and those that supported him in achieving this good deed are appreciated.
“To be candid, government supposed to be the representative of the God. We look unto them, but they have already failed us because they lack what it takes to lead the people. We are expecting them to come to our aid before now but they didn’t, that’s why I said they have failed us”, the community leader stated.
“Now, private individuals and groups like Pepc have taken charge and delivering what government ought to do for the masses. We selected some people to represent our interest, unfortunately, they are representing their own interest, households and families.
“The situation we are in presently should make people in government to come back to their senses and do what is needful so that people that have lost interest in them will start believing in them”, he advised.
Alhaja Olukoga, 2nd Vice Chairman, Tuagaga CDA, also speaking, stated:
“We are happy with this gesture. There is a saying which states that whosoever that gives when he has little would also give more whenever he has the capacity”, Alhaja Olukoga stated proverbially.
“God will continue to give the foundation capacity to do more”, she prayed.
Pastor Solomon Arinola, an executive member of the Tuagaga CDA, in his own contributions, stated that:
“We are thankful to those that brought these food items to support us during the lockdown. There are many of us that do not have what to eat again since they forced us to stay at home.
“The same God that gave you (Pepc foundation) the grace, He’s the one that has also directed you to extend such to us and we pray that He will continue to make His grace permanent with you. He shall never depart you.
“All what those in government are doing are like they are dragging us backward, but people like you that are doing everyting to uplift the commoners shall not lack. God will continue to promote and lift you higher”.
The Coordinator of the Pepc Foundation’s Emergency Food Relief Program in support of local communities, Mr Shamsideen Akinsanya, stated that the intervention initiative is aimed to help vulnerable people and others in need of food.
“We planned to identify less privilege in our communities by going directly to them and deliver food packs to them to relief their families during this period of lockdown”, he stated.
He prayed for God’s intervention and solution in order that the virus that is troubling the global village would end soon.
Many of the beneficiaries also expressed their appreciation to the Pepc foundation for identifying and delivering food items directly to them.
