Lagos political groups fete children in Ojokoro, seek compliance with lockdown order

It was a sigh of relief for children and residents of Ojokoro area of Lagos at the weekend when the G5 and Makinde Formidable Legend made good its promise to give respite to all classes of people in the area, by giving them food stuffs and well prepared meal to children even as the scourge of Coronavirus subsists which has necessitated the imposition of restrictive measures by the Federal and state governments.

Hon. Rasheed Makinde, the lawmaker representing Ifako-Ijaiye constituency II, who is the lead sponsor of Makinde Formidable Legend and who was also present to declare the food prepared for the children safe for consumption along with other dignitaries, who also assessed the meal before giving it out to the wards, who they ensured all lined up in clear observance of the social distancing.

Makinde who noted that many homes were already running out of food stuffs, as the COVID-19 sit-at-home order enters its third week, added that the idea was well thought out.

“We are here today to extend the hands of fellowship to the kids in this Meiran Housing Estate in Ojokoro, the scourge of COVID-19 is ravaging the world and we are in the third week now, most of the food stuffs stocked up by our people is almost getting exhausted.

“G5 of Meiran Estate and Makinde Formidable Legend deemed it fit to prepare meal as well as give hand sanitizers to their residents and this is the second phase of the gesture, since the restriction imposed on human movement by  government debarring many activities.

“This meal is to cushion the effect of the restriction on the parents and guardians of these children and secondly to keep them at home.

“At least if they have good food in their belly they would be able to sit at home and watch TV and keep to the social distancing measure.

“500 children were feted today with well prepared meal, the first phase catered for 300 people and as Honourable member representing this constituency, I have distributed over 2000 hand sanitizer across the various social strata in this area.

“We have already distributed it to the stakeholders in the local government too; yesterday we gave raw food stuff to inhabitants of Ojokoro.

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“Today the G5 and Makinde Formidable Legends are doing another noble one. In the next two weeks Makinde Formidable Alliance will do similar thing distributing raw foods to the vulnerable in our community.

“I also thank the Council Chairman, corporate bodies and individuals who have been doing a lot in assisting the state and Federal Government to cushion the effect of the stay at home order.”

Speaking on the security threats recently witnessed in the area, Makinde noted that the border lines between Ogun State and the neighbouring localities like Ojokoro gave rise to the development.

“Ojokoro shares a lot of border points with Ogun and as a result we have a lot of vulnerable that are now moving into our local government to take advantage of that geographic opening, due to which we had few skirmishes around our area.

“I called the Area Commander and the Commander of the RRS and they were both here in our local government last week Tuesday or Wednesday to quell the fracas that occurred.

“Since then the panic created made the individuals and residents to be having security vigils, in those areas so as to forestall any unforeseen invasion from the neighbouring youths from Ogun State.

“We are working on that and every security apparatus are in place to restore normalcy.”

On the rate of compliance the lawmaker, noted that majority of the people living in the area are educated and so comported themselves very well.

“In Ojokoro Local Government, I can say more than average of the populace are educated, law abiding and we obey whatever government says.

“Since the pronouncement of Governor Sanwo-Olu we have obeyed the order and that informs why up till this day no case of Coronavirus was recorded here, no patient or infected persons here.

“Lagos State government have been able to gather a reasonable data that has covered over 85 percent of its inhabitants, it is a fact that Lagos State is a nation state.

“Every now and then people come in, so we cannot capture everybody coming in every minute into Lagos State, but as at today due to the LASRRA creation that everyone must be registered along with their children and their household.

“So Lagos State were able to gather enough information and data to really plan and distribute the stimulus to their inhabitants., Lagos State is doing well and I want the Federal Government to follow suit so that the kind of embarrassment we are having across the globe will drastically reduced,” Makinde said.

While also speaking at the event, Mr. Balogun Omolade, the Grand Patron MFL, an engineer, mirrored why the gesture was necessary.

“It is our own way of extending our hands of fellowship to the community, the G5 group have been involved in various humanitarian services the estate.

“They have been into health care services for children within the age of one to ten, for free malaria drugs and they have been helping in terms of WAEC forms and GCE and JAMB forms.

” During this period they have been able to give up to 600 residents packs of raw foods and we now felt that since not all the residents have direct access to feed the children, we decided to come up with this saying let’s feed 500 children and see how it goes.

“People should continue to obey what the state and Federal Government is telling them, stay at home when you don’t have anything essential to do outside.

“Now we are so sure that this virus is not about people coming into the country, but now about we that are in the country already, so all we have to do is to just break the chain of spreading the virus and the only way is by staying at home and that is why we did not encourage any of the children or people here to stay for long.

“You collect your food pack and move away straight to your house. We want to encourage people to stay at home.

“I will say it here that people should endeavour to stay at home, except if it is essential for them to come out of their houses.”

The host, Mr. Babatunde Thomas, the Chairman G5 in Meiran Estate, hinted that Ojokoro is lucky that well meaning individuals are ready to help.

“Yesterday there was a woman selling moinmoin there and about three or four people bought the whole stock she got and asked people around to be taking for free to support their feeding.

“Equally during this period we have given out lots of raw food stuffs to people, not only the vulnerable, because we have discovered that almost everybody is now vulnerable, as they don’t have cash in hand.

“Elderly are the most vulnerable, they may not have money and will not like to go and beg for food, equally to some women that are vulnerable we ensure that we gather enough packaged food stuffs, we have done over 300, we equally feel that we have done for the adults, the elders then let us do for the children.”

One of the beneficiaries, Ofobutu Toyin said the meal was timely and profoundly thanked the initiators.

“I express my gratitude for all those behind this gesture for not allowing me to go hungry.”