How 4,000 households in Ilesa benefitted from Osun commissioner’s COVID-19 relief package

As part of efforts to improve the lot of people badly affected by the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and also to lighten the burden of the unexpected lockdown on the people, the Osun state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr Oluremi Omowaiye, organised a two-day programme at his hometown, Ilesa, to distribute relief materials packaged by him with support from his friends from different walks of life to households.

His initiative which was described as a timely intervention was also an effort to ensure that people comply with the lockdown order of government to curb the spread of the coronavirus based on the belief that sustaining a lockdown requires access to food, water, medicine and a host of other necessities especially in view of people losing income during the lockdown period.

His two-day effort was primarily to give succour to numerous families and also aid the efforts of the state government in making it easier for the people to comply with the stay-at-home order issued by the government for people in towns across the state.

And to ensure that the principle of social distancing is strictly adhered to, he did not select a location for people to gather for collection, rather, the commissioner’s palliative train which transversed the length and breadth of Ilesa West Local Government Area of Osun State moved from one family compound to another and covered the area street by street, distributing what he named the Ilerioluwa Covid-19 relief package to the people irrespective of tribe, religion, colour or political affiliation.

Omowaiye’s team did not leave out communities like Osu, Iwara, Ifewara and other communities in Atakumosa West Local Government Area of the state. At the end of the programme, over 4000 households were reached during the outreach and each relief package distributed contained basic foodstuff like beans, rice, wheat, semo flour, noodles and eggs among others.

Omowaiye during the distribution told the people that government is conscious of the difficulties they are facing as a result of not being able to go out to work or attend to their various economic activities, but assured them that the siege would soon be over as Governor Gboyega Oyetola is doing everything humanly and medically possible to curtail the spread of Covid-19 so that things could return to normal adding that the governor deserves commendation at this crucial time of the state’s socioeconomic life.

According to Omowaiye, the two-day outreach is not going to be just a one-off intervention as plans are already on for another round of distribution under his Ilerioluwa palliative support.

Omowaiye said: “I got support from some of my good friends for Ilerioluwa palliative for the people of Ilesa West and Atakumosa West Local Government Areas of the state to reach out to people in the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown. I had a target of 4000 households but it was simply overwhelming because everybody, even the rich, wanted palliatives.

“This is indeed a trying time for us. We must all rally round every form of support for the Government irrespective of our political affiliation. Now that the lockdown has been extended in Osun, I have concluded plans to again reach out to a minimum of 7500 households in Ijesa land. It is tough, but with support from friends, we shall make it happen.

“We just can’t afford this COVID-19 to escalate hence the lock down, a lot of countries that failed to lockdown at the appropriate time are now regretting. I appeal to our people to bear with us. It is no doubt a tough time for us but I must sincerely commend Governor Oyetola for his outstanding leadership so far. He has provided an exemplary leadership in this trying time.”

He further called on well-to-do people in the society to lend helping hands to the needy as part of their support to kick out Covid-19 from the land.

The people of Ilesa described the intervention as timely and lauded Omowaiye not for only bringing succor but also for ensuring that it wasn’t hijacked and they did not suffer to access it as it was brought to them in the comfort of their homes.

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