Kunle Adelabu
-Gets commendations for support
Over a thousand residents of Imota Local Council Development Area of Ikorodu Division of Lagos State, Southwest of Nigeria, were, on Thursday, presented with N5000 cash each as palliatives to cushion the effects of the removal of the fuel subsidy that is biting hard on the generality of the citizenry.
The Council boss, Hon. (Prince) Wasiu Adekunle Agoro, who said that the intervention would be observed for the next three months, explained that the he resorted to presentation of cash palliative because of the low purchasing power of people in the rural council, and further stated that the money would present beneficiaries the opportunity to make choices on what they do with the money.
Hon. Agoro, his cabinet members, other council officials distributed the cash intervention at the council secretariat where beneficiaries were called one after the other to be presented with their envelopes, while they, in turn, expressed their appreciations for the gesture.
The Imota Chairman, speaking with THE IMPACT, during the presentation, explained the rationale behind the cash intervention.
“The reason behind cash palliative is the peculiarity of my council where residents purchasing power is very low. We also discovered that most of the vulnerable people that we are giving cash to has one illness or the other. They can’t afford to buy their drugs and they have particular food that they can eat due to their conditions”, Hon. Agoro said.
“That is why we decided to give them cash so that they can buy exactly what they needed and not we want to give them. That is why we gave them cash. They can go to the market to buy anything that they want. Some of them eat only banana or yam powder (Amala) which we cannot give out. We preferred given them cash”.
Some of these vulnerable people cannot even prepare food on their own. They do buy, so, it would be easier for them if they have cash to buy whatever that they want.
He stated that the council planned to repeat the exercise for the next two months, stating that the initiative would complement the proposed palliative programmes by the state and federal governments.
Hon. Agoro assured residents that the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu and Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, are planning massive palliative programmes to also cushion the effects of the current economic pains in the country.
“We plan to give palliatives to a thousand residents, but we have exceeded that today and we have plan for continuation. It would take three months. This is for August. We are going to do for September and October”, he assured.
“This initiative is to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal. The State Governor, His Excellency, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, is going to roll our massive palliatives for the people. We are only complimenting his efforts. So also is the federal government being led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“At our level, we are only complimenting what they plan to do by taking care of our people, because of our peculiarities. Through this, people that are managing themselves can buy whatever that they needed.
“We are still going to continue like I said and that was why we exceeded the number planned for today. Though, we planned for exigencies too, but at the moment, I cannot give accurate figure of how many that we attended to that are not on the list. You can still see people that are coming around and we are still going to see what we can do about them.
“The fact is that we have the data; even those that we are going to give next month, we have their data. We know that it cannot go round the community, but we are just trying to see what we can do to ensure that every part of Imota get touched”, Hon. Agoro said.
The event also presented the council Chairman the opportunity to also distribute the special palliative packs consisting food items donated by Rep. Rep. Babajimi Benson, to some of the vulnerable residents in lmota.
Some of the beneficiaries that spoke with THE IMPACT, commended the Chairman’s gesture.
Mr Ogunnawo, J.B., a resident of Imota, speaking, said:
“It is a good initiative. This is what the community wanted. I also thank the chairman”.
Another resident, Mrs Tabaka, also speaking, said:
“We thank them for what they have done for us. They will continue to move forward. We also appreciate our chairman, he is trying for us in Imota community. God will continue to empower him”.
Mrs Basirat Ipeye, a resident of Ori – Okuta, in her own submission, also commended the chairman and prayed for him.
“I am really happy with what they have done today. God will continue to enrich them, bless and grant them the wisdom and knowledge to use the position that has been given to them”, she said.
Mr Aworo Kolawole described the gesture as a commendable effort,while also calling for the repair of the refineries to solve the problem confronting the country.
“It a commendable effort on the part of the local government, and we thank the chairman. Let the (federal) government go and have the refineries repaired. It is the removal of petrol subsidy that is causing all these problem. Let them go and repair all the refineries, and let there be abundant petrol for the peoplen, then everything will be fine”, he said.
In his own comment, Saheed Akinyele said:
“I am so glad today for what they have done for us. We also want more progress from our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He should, please, do more of this for the people. They would be happy.
“We also thank our chairman, Wasiu Kunle Agoro, God will continue to enrich him. He should continue to move forward with Imota people”.
Toheeb Olufowora, Zonal Chairman for Igbokuta, also speaking, said:
“What we have seen that they have done for us today is a good thing. People are really appreciative of the gesture, because it would go a long way in cushioning the effects of what we are facing now. We really thank them for what they have done for us. God will continue to enrich them”.
