Kunle Adelabu
The Representative of Ikorodu Federal Constituency and Chairman, House Committee on Defense, House of Representatives, Hon. Babajimi Benson, has expressed his displeasures over the level of compliance to the, stay – at – home directive by the government in Ikorodu.
He said that the effects of the deadly disease are scary and charged people of Ikorodu division to do better by improving on their level of compliance to the stay – at – home order.
The lawmaker stated this while responding to questions from journalists at his constituency office in Ikorodu during the distribution of the food items he donated to 4,500 families in Ikorodu Federal Constituency to compliment the food initiatives of the Lagos State and Federal governments to cushion the effects of the lockdown on the people.
The distribution was held on Easter Sunday and was coordinated by the iCare Foundation, the operational arm of the federal lawmaker.
“We can do better because the stay-at-home order has not been 100% adhered to, especially when you compare it with what is going on all over the world”, the federal lawmaker stated when asked to assess the level of compliance with the lockdown order in his constituency.
“The United States of America that had 50 cases in January now has over 500, 000 cases of COVID – 19. I think that we are extremely lucky here and we should not push our luck too far. We should listen to all established protocols by the state and federal governments”, he warned.
The two-term lawmaker, who stated that he used to think that COVID – 19 is only white men disease, added that its effects on black men, especially in United States of America, and the at which it’s spreading is scary to him.
“It is very scary because I used to think that it is a white man disease, but looking at the amount of deaths in America, blacks which constitutes about 12% of the country’s population accounts for 60% of COVID – 19 deaths. It is not a white man disease and it can affects anybody, so, we need to abide with these established protocols”, he pleaded.
“It is easier to prevent than to cure”.
Also speaking on the efforts of the House of Representatives so far in containing the spread and eradication of the ravaging COVID – 19, Hon. Benson stated that aside the donation of two months salaries by all the 360 members of the House of Representatives, they have also been ensuring effective oversight functions over the executive on the matter.
“The House of Representatives has done a lot. We have donated two months of our salaries and we are constantly monitoring Presidential Taskforce on COVID – 19”, he stated.
“Our committee on health is also monitoring the Ministry of Health as well. We also took up the matter of Nigerians that were harassed in China about three days ago.
“We are very concerned about what is happening in the country. Each Representative is also doing something in his or her Federal constituency”.
In his message to people in his constituents, Hon Benson stated:
“My message to my people is that the lockdown is a very hard pill to swallow, but that decision was taken for the greatest good of greatest number. Like I always say, it is very easy to prevent than cure”.
He explained that the food distribution by his operational group was to compliment the efforts of both state and federal governments in lessen the hardship the people in the country are currently facing due to the lockdown.
“This is to compliment the efforts of the state government in bringing succor and relief to our vulnerable people. We are trying to make the lockdown experience as comfortable as possible for the people”, the lawmaker, who also initiated monthly foodbank program, stated.
The two term federal lawmaker, while explaining the process of the distribution of the food items to 4,500 families across Ikorodu Federal Constituency comprising of six councils, stated that:
“We are using the Community Development Committee’s (CDCs) structures by asking each Community Development Association (CDAs) in the to nominate five people that are vulnerable in their respective domains. This was done throughout Ikorodu Federal Constituency which is one of the constituencies with the highest number of CDAs in Lagos state. We have over 1000 CDAs”.
