A community based association, Forum For Oke-Ogun Progress (FFOP) has extended palliative packages to residents of Oke-Ogun Area of Oyo State to cushion the effects of the ongoing lockdown over the outbreak of coronavirus.
Founder/ President of the association, Mr. Saheed Adekunle Muraina, remarked that the FFOP deemed it necessary to complement the efforts of the Presidential Task Force (PTF), Oyo State Government, Oyo North Representatives at the National Assemby as well as philanthropic individuals and corporate organizations on COVID-19 Relief Initiatives.
According to him, food items were distributed to numerous inhabitants of local governments in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State such as Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Kajola, Atisbo among others between 2nd-4th of May, 2020 through the Association’s FFOP COVID-19 RELIEF TEAM with supports from well-meaning individuals in the society.
Mr. Saheed, who is also the Director of Projects (National Association of President’s NYSC Honours Award Winners) stated further that with this palliative outreach, it is ardently believed that the compliance on COVID-19 induced lockdown (stay-at-home) order is expected to improve as the people would complain less of hunger.
The need to give relief materials to the people living in Oke-Ogun Area of Oyo State is due to the on-going lockdown occasioned by the outbreak of COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) in Nigeria with the first case announced on 27th of February, 2020 in Lagos involving an Italian Citizen.
As at 3rd May, 2020, the confirmed cases of coronavirus had risen to 2,558 in the country while the lockdown which commenced on 30th March, 2020 still remains in force in some parts of the country till 17th May, 2020.
Governments at various levels have launched palliative measures to cushion the adverse effect of the imperative ‘stay at home’ order on the citizens so as to enable them cope with household needs during the lockdown.
The question now is, how many citizens have significantly benefitted from the initiated Palliative measures considering the total population of over 200 million people in the country and with over 40 percent already living below poverty line?
Amidst this lockdown, the cases of coronavirus rise every hour of everyday, implying that several hunger-stricken Nigerians contentiously still sneak out in search for household demands, without considering the possibility of contacting the air-borne deadly coronavirus.