The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday flagged off the distribution of 107,546 food palliative packages donated and handed over to the state by the Private Sector coalition against COVID 19 (CACOVID).
The food items were received on behalf of the state government by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the Lagos House, Alausa in company of the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Chief of Staff, Mr. Tayo Ayinde and the Acting Commissioner of Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, among other state officials and representatives of CA-COVID.
The state Acting Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya while speaking on behalf of the state government explained that the initiative is to support the state’s efforts to ameliorate the effects of COVID 19 pandemic on food security and the associated national disruption to normal life and economic activities especially on the elderly, indigent individuals and families.
According to her, the palliative has been repackaged and as such each pack is made up of a customized LASG/CACOVID sack containing 10kg of Rice, 5kg of garri, 5kg of sugar, 1kg of salt, a carton of pasta and two cartons of noodles per a beneficiary.
The commissioner said: “We are here today for the handing over ceremony of the Coalition Against COVID-19 pandemic distribution for the food items that were donated by this group as far back as April-May but which Lagos officially is just receiving.”
“According to the CACOVID team, Lagos State is supposed to receive107,546 beneficiary packs for our citizens – for the indigents, the elderly, for those that do not have the wherewithal or the capacity to have food on their tables on a daily basis.
“But nonetheless, with regards to the 107,546 packs, we are still repackaging and so far, the team has been able to repackage about 50,000 beneficiary packs. Until we finish repackaging, before we can ascertain and say this is the quantity that we have actually received as Lagos State,” the Acting Commissioner opined.
Olusanya noted that in order to ensure the seamless distribution of the palliatives to the most indigent and vulnerable, the state government would reach out to the targeted people through Local Governments and Local Council Development Authorities as well as Community Development Areas.
She added that the distribution exercise would be coordinated by the Ministry
She stated that groups such as the Transporters Unions, Government Health Institutions, Ethnic Groups, Political Groups, Religious Associations, Artisans and Tradesmen Associations, Market Men and Women Associations, People living with disabilities, Orphanages and Old Peoples Home, Pensioners’ Associations among others would also be used to get to the targeted people.
Also speaking, the State Coordinator of CACOVID, Mr. Amaechi Okobi, commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for his leadership role in managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos State.
“We thank you for your support. We thank you for the tireless efforts you have put in to ensure things are going well as they have been going. There is no gainsaying that COVID-19 took us by surprise but with people like you supporting us, we would win this battle.
“The Commissioner has been very eloquent about what we have done. The idea is to take care of our fellow men. One million, six hundred and sixty six thousands, six hundred and sixty-seven Nigerians need our help.
“All Nigerians need our help but we are focused on the lowest five per cent to ensure that in this extremely tough time, they are at least fed. We have lockdown that prevented them from working. So, they need help,” he said.
The Private Sector Coalition Against COVID19 (CACOVID) was created out of the urgent desire of members of the private sector to actively support the efforts of the Federal and State Governments to reduce the negative impacts of COVID 19 on livelihood of the citizenry.
