COVID-19: Food relief package for indigent, vulnerable persons only ― Lagos govt

The Lagos State government, on Tuesday, said that its food relief package to ease the discomfort of the COVID-19 lockdown was only for the elderly, poor and vulnerable residents.

The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, in a statement, said that the food aid was misunderstood to be for all residents, leading to misinformation and comments on social media.

Omotosho explained that the initiative was targeted at a segment which included the poor and elderly whose data had been collated to ensure direct delivery of the items to their doorsteps.

He said that 100,000 out of the 200,000 households targeted in the first phase of the distribution of the relief packages had been reached, adding that, irregularities were being tackled.

“It has become necessary to reiterate the modus of distribution of the welfare package as well as the category of beneficiaries of the government’s compassionate gesture, which is deliberately being distorted by mischief-makers.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the first stage of the welfare package was designed to cater for 200,000 households, comprising of a father, mother and four children across the 20 local governments and the 37 local council development authorities.

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“It is a misconception that it was meant for all Lagosians. No.

“All aged residents who are above 60 years old and registered with the Lagos State Residents’ Registration Agency, (LASRRA), were sent text messages and requested to confirm the accuracy of their details, such as name and home address.

“They have since responded to the text messages so as to benefit from the package.

“The food relief materials for the above 60 group are being delivered directly to the beneficiaries by representatives of the State Government based on the data with the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency.

“The other category of beneficiaries comprises the indigent and vulnerable within the various communities at the grassroots,” he said.

The commissioner explained that the government engaged critical stakeholders in the distribution process as part of strategies to ensure that the relief packages reached the deserving beneficiaries.

He said that the stakeholders collated the names of community members who deserved to benefit from the palliative measure.

Omotoso listed the stakeholders to include Community Development Associations and their Committees as well as Community and Religious Leaders

“The CDAs were also tasked to ensure the items were judiciously distributed.

“The government is constantly monitoring the process and has observed some lapses that gave rise to the negative comments on some social media platforms.

“The issues are being addressed to fine-tune the strategies adopted in getting the food items across to the intended recipients of the package.

“In all, about 100,000 households across the State have been reached since the exercise started.

“Lagosians should remain confident that the State Government is working to ensure that the lapses are addressed so that the vulnerable who Governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu said will not suffer will benefit from this laudable intervention,” he said.

(NAN)

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