- gives relief packages
By Olanrewaju Adesanya
As the fourteen days lockdown on Lagos state metropolis bites harder at day three,a Lagos lawmaker has advised Lagosians to persevere a lot more, describing the government emergency pronouncement as the only way to keep the virus from spreading further.
Hon. Victor Akande, who represent Ojo Constituency I at the Lagos State House of Assembly, gave the charge yesterday, while sensitising his constituents on the importance of taking to precautionary and preventive measures, geared towards keeping the scourge of Coronavirus at bay,he also gave relief package to many to alleviate the hard times.
Akande who doubles as the committee Chairman on Judiciary, Human Right, Public Petition and LASIEC, noted that the relief packs were purely his own effort to give succour to people as the lockdown takes effect.
“It depicts my love and concern for my people during this lockdown, majority of our people depend on daily income, some weekly and some monthly income, so if it is only a cup of rice that we can give to them to ameliorate their suffering they would be happy.
” I personally decided to buy some food items for them as stimulus package, so that they can know that I share in their pains, during this lockdown occasioned by the Coronavirus scourge.
“We packaged rice close to 4000 in all,2000 spaghetti, two big sacks of beans, macaroni, semolina, semovita and wheat, all these we shared round.
“I also did 2,200 hand sanitizers, so at the end of the day, some got rice, beans, some got at least one of the food items and some got sanitisers.
“We have also been sensitizing our people, we went around our constituency with an announcer bringing our constituents up to speed on the realities of Coronavirus and the need to keep to the precautionary measures and obey all the rules, with enough awareness about how real this virus is.
“Some felt it is not real having the believe that we Africans have enough immunity to fight it.
“That is not the case, the import is if we can be able to follow all the rules and measures,then within a short period of time it will die a natural death like Ebola.
“The announcer did sensitize the people adequately accompanied by jingles specially composed to drive home the message about the virus,we also shared leaflets to people on the issue at hand.”
According to the lawmaker there are no relief package yet in Ojo local government from the state government.
“We are yet to receive any stimulus package from the state government, and as I speak nothing had got to Ojo local government.
“I have called all the ward chairmen, giving them some relief packages to give to people as well as telling them to spread the message on the importance of maintaining good hygiene and taking precautionary measures serious.
“I personally have to go round and give people some relief package, you know my constituency is very wide and to God be the glory, we were able to cover many places since morning, Iba, Ojo, Ajangbadi and more.
Akande further counseled people on the need to comply with government directives, as regards staying at home.
“We don’t have any choice we just have to obey, obedience is key, if you don’t obey, don’t think that they are joking with the virus,it is real so it is better for all to obey, wash our hands from time to time, keep social distance and ensure you don’t do what will attract the virus.
” If we stay at home, we are helping this government to stop the spread of the virus and before we know it will stop. Those people that were affected they will be detected and quarantined.
On the level of compliance the legislator scored the people 40 percent, citing the daily income earners as taking the largest chunk of people in the area.
“One thing about Nigeria is that we are communal people, we practice extended family, we believe in social gatherings, so for now, although it is very difficult for people to actually obey it but they are complying little by little and I can tell you by tomorrow it will take a new dimension.
“The compliance is like 40 percent now and you know people with daily incomes are feeling the heat more.
“70 percent of them fall within this category, they are aggressive and agitated that informs why you see people on the streets, trying to see what they can do to fend for the needs of their household, so that their family will not go hungry.