The Road Transports Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) on Tuesday distributed 1,730 bags of rice and 690 bags of garri to its members and Lagos residents to cushion the effect of COVID-19 lockdown.
Alhaji Mohammed Musa, the State Chairman of RTEAN said the gesture was borne out of the passion to alleviate the sufferings of its members whose sources of income had been affected by the government-imposed lockdown.
According to him, the association purchased 1,500 bags of rice in the palliatives while it also received 230 bags of rice and 690 bags of garri from the state government as palliatives for members.
Musa, said the union could not keep looking and watching while its members were suffering due to the lockdown, stressing that financial assistance of N10,000 had been provided for some members.
“The first batch of our palliatives was by the RTEAN Executives to members and while this second batch was what the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu provided, and we thank God.
“You can see how members are smiling for collecting the rice and garri. They are full of happiness. We thank the state and federal governments for supporting the union members.
“The hardship now is huge and I don’t need to tell anyone. Looking at our gate, more than 1000 poor people are outside waiting for our help which we have been doing since last week,” the RTEAN boss said.
According to him, so many poor and vulnerable have been trooping into the RTEAN secretariat since last weekend, seeking assistance of food and money.
He said that the union, out of her magnanimity did not only consider its members in the palliatives but also extended the gesture to members of the host community that are poor.
“The number of the poor people that comes here everyday keeps increasing and we share the little we have provided and what the government gave us with both our members and the masses.
“We have shown the same gesture at Egbeda, Ikorodu and other areas for the masses. We are not limiting it to bus conductors and drivers that are our members alone,” Musa said.
The RTEAN boss, who noted that government alone could not solve the problem of hunger among the masses, urged well-meaning Nigerians and the corporate bodies to assist the downtrodden.
“If other associations, companies and organisations can do what the RTEAN is doing now at various levels, the suffering of the masses will reduce at this time of lockdown. This will go a long way.
“It is sad that a lot of people have millions and billions of naira but cannot assist the masses and that is what increases the hardship of the poor.
“Government only cannot do it. We have to join hands together and assist the government,” he added.
Alhaji Abdulrahman Amusan, the State Secretary of RTEAN said the union would stand by its members and masses at this critical and difficult time to the end.
Amusan urged members to adhere to government’s directives on precautionary measures to curb further spreading to the global pandemic that had claimed more that 160,000 lives.
The State Public Relations Officers, Alhaji Ayinde Runmonkun told NAN that the gesture being extended to the masses was part of the union corporate responsibility to the people.
Alhaji Suleiman Age, an Executive Member of RTEAN, commended the chairman for being kind-hearted not to the union members only but to the poor, saying that he had put smiles on the faces of many.