Lagos takes enlightenment campaign on Conditional Cash Transfer to LGA/LCDAs

…Council distributes food items, face mask to residents as covid-19 palliatives
In its efforts to allow the Local Government Councils understand what the newly introduced Cash Transfer initiative entails and key into the programme, the Lagos State government through the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke has embarked on enlightenment and sensitisation campaign tours of Local Government and Local Council Development Areas to be involved in the first phase of the Cash Transfer programme in the state.

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Speaking during the tour of the Council Areas, the Commissioner urged the personnel to embrace the initiative, saying that the cash transfer programme will, in the long run, reduce some financial burdens on the local authorities.
She disclosed that enrollment of the would-be beneficiaries of the scheme had since taken effect, following the successful completion of the four-day training exercise of some local government officials for the Conditional Cash Transfer in April.
Mrs. Arobieke said, “Extending the Federal Government’s initiative, aimed at alleviating the standard of living of the poor masses in the country, including Lagos State, its a gesture that will further boost the economic viability of our dear state and uplift the vulnerable households in Lagos,”
She commended the commitment of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the realisation of the programme, especially his insistence that the training exercise must hold in Lagos, to ensure residents benefit from the Federal Government’s initiative as soon as possible.
While expressing her satisfaction with the training sessions carried out in April, Arobieke disclosed that despite the fact that 33 states in Nigeria have already keyed into the initiative, leaving only Lagos and two other states behind, the coming on board of Lagos State portends greater opportunities and privileges for residents of the state provided they comply with all conditions prescribed by the Federal Government.
Responding, the Chairmen of some of the councils visited thanked the state government for its commitment to the cash transfer programme being institutionalised in the state. They promised to embrace the programme, support it and give all necessary backing to ensure it succeeds in the state.
The local councils so far visited by the Commissioner and her team include Amuwo Odofin, OriAde LCDA, Apapa LGA, Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Ibeju-Lekki LGA, Lekki LCDA, Lagos Island East LCDA and Lagos Island LGA, among others.
In a related development, the Coker/Aguda Local Council Development Area has distributed food items  and facemasks to people of the LCDA as parts of efforts to cushion the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic in the council.
The distribution of the items according to the chairman of the council, Hon. Omobolanle Adetutu Medinat Akinyemi-Obe, was aimed at identifying with Muslim clerics, political leaders, community leaders, youths, CDC and CDAs, members of management staffs, NULGE of the local council and other vulnerable members of the council, that needs welfare package to sustain their feeding during the Ramadan fasting and generally.
This will be the 4th welfare package the council will be putting together during this period of Covid-19 pandemic.
The chairman who handed some of the items to beneficiaries assured that the council will always bring in relief packages to ameliorate the effect of Covid-19.
While advising members of the community that Covid-19 is not the same as malaria, the council boss explained that Malaria is not contagious and neither does it affect the respiratory process of humans as Covid-19 does, adding that the symptoms are obviously different.
She enjoined the people of Coker/Aguda LCDA to continue to keep self hygiene, maintain social distancing, compulsory usage of face mask, washing of hands and applying sanitizers.
To support the idea of face mask, the local council she said has and would be distributing 12,000 pieces of face masks to street associations, market women, community associations, artisan groups, registered youth groups and other stakeholders within the LGA.
Some of the face masks were distributed to people and groups present at the food distribution exercise as the rest will be distributed at a later date to be announced by government, including the launching of other safety measures to protect the public health system.