By Chris Paul Otaigbe
The Lagos State Government has kicked off the distribution of relief materials to the vulnerable residents of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of the state.
The free meal initiative, which was reported to have commenced on April 21, at Fish Palace, Araromi in Shogunle ward, was reported by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to the report, the residents came out in their numbers to appreciate the government’s new palliative initiative of reaching out to the needy.
The report added that on Wednesday, the free meals were also served at Iya Basira food canteen, 1 Jimmy Thomas, Ladipo in Ewu ward.
Beneficiaries were issued the food materials based on their arrival time without any discrimination, while maintaining social distancing. They comported themselves in an orderly manner.
The Media Officer of the council, Mr Babajide Dada, said the programme would go round each of the wards that make up the local government during the period of the lockdown.
“On Thursday, it is going to be Ogunoloko ward; Friday, Mafoluku ward; Saturday, Igbeyinadun ward; Sunday, Afariogun ward, and Monday, Oluyeye ward.”
“We appreciate the orderliness which we have witnessed in the two wards that the exercise has been executed and hope same would be replicated in all the wards,” said Dada.
At other areas of Oshodi, private organizations were reported to have distributed relief materials to residents of different parts of the Local governments.
According to a resident, Jelili Alagbe, the items which contained raw foodstuffs such as rice, garri, noodles, pasta, among others were shared to the elderly between the ages of 60 and 80 years old, as well as the physically challenged.
However, the distribution in the area is said to have left some of the youths displeased as they were excluded from the distribution of the relief materials. According to Jelili, some of the youths were angry because most of them are as hungry as the elderly and physically challenged who were qualified to access the gesture.
“In fact, they are threatening to attack any truck that bring food to their area for anybody, whether old people or disabled members of our neighborhood. Most of them do not have anything they are doing that will bring money as they used to before the government lockdown”, said Jelili.
A young pepper seller, Sidi Adejare, at Oshodi market, stated that some youths in her area are angry at their exclusion from the distribution of the largesse, adding that the lockdown order has made life worse for them.
“These boys never really had what they were doing even before the government said we should stay at home, but they could go out to hustle. The little money they make from carrying loads and doing bus conductor was what they used to feed themselves and their families. Now, they can’t go out and they have wives and children at home too and they must provide for them.
“So, you see why they are angry. If government must give food, they should allow it to go around or not do it at all, because when you are hungry and you see people sharing food free of charge to your neighbors because they are old or they can’t walk or disabled, it is somehow”, Sidi explained.
According to her, some of the elderly have children who provide for them, while some of the disabled people live better than most of the able-bodied young men and women in the area.
She raised concern about the possibility of another extension of the lockdown, “I don’t think people will survive another lockdown as I hear government is planning, because the people are already very angry that this one month has brought more hunger to their lives. Some of them are even saying that they would prefer that they are killed by the coronavirus than to have themselves and their families die of hunger”, she stressed.
