Senator donates palliatives to constituents

The lawmaker representing Lagos West Zone, Senator Solomon Adeola, has donated several items valued at over half a billion naira to cushion effects of poverty, unemployment and hardship induced by the COVID-19 pandemic to members of his constituency.

Some of the items distributed to beneficiaries at the Police College GRA in Lagos yesterday included 28 block-moulding machines; 28 refrigerators; 330 sewing machines; 484 grinding machines; 28 hair dryers; 28 clipper sterilisers and generators; 28 deep freezers; 28 tricycles and 126 vulcanizing machines.

Other items are procurement of 28 units of 500 KVA transformers, which are being distributed to communities across the 10 local governments of the senatorial district, provision of 130 poles of solar panel street lights, which were distributed to 20 major streets in Ojo, Badagry, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, Ikeja, Alimosho, Mushin, Ifako Ijaiye, Oshodi-Isolo and Agege councils among other.

Speaking at the programme, which was attended by the Chairman Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Committee, Chief Tunde Balogun, the lawmaker said his fourth edition of Lagos West Senatorial District Town Hall Meeting/Poverty Alleviation and Empowerment Programme was targeted at bringing relief to underprivileged people irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds during this hard period of pandemic.

He added that under his human resources development agenda, he has facilitated the training of hundreds of constituents in rural riverine communities of Lagos West in different aspects of fish production, business, feed making and boat operation.

“Each trained and certificated participant in a programme entitled: ‘Teach a man to fish,’ was equipped and given grants to commence a business. In addition, I facilitated the training of 1000 constituents in phone repairs, hair dressing, make-up artistry, soap/detergent making and sanitizer making skills with participants receiving start-up equipment and cash grants.

“For constituents desirous of establishment in the booming business of logistic and delivery, I gave out 185 motorcycles to constituents in each ward in the district. From today, I am also empowering selected constituents.

“I also used the period under consideration to address the issue of erratic power supply and other inefficiencies in the provision of light as it affects the senatorial district. I facilitated the procurement of 28 units of 500 KVA Transformers which are being distributed to communities across the 10 LGAs of the senatorial district.”

He hinted that the distribution exercise was supposed to have been held in 2020, but was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. “I hereby assure my constituency people that this exercise today will not affect the fifth edition, which will be coming up towards the end of the year.”

He said the donation was apart from the N50 million which he had donated and was shared among people at the peak of COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. He urged residents who are yet to benefit directly from the empowerment and other schemes to exercise patience.

“The door is not closed as the exercises are continuous and will always be equitable among our diverse 10 LGAs and 18 LCDAs. It is my pledge to continue to serve you.”