Ekiti State Government on Thursday began the distribution of 10,000 bags of rice to religious bodies in the state to cushion the effect of hardship especially during the festive period.
Distributing the bags of rice donated by Aliko Dangote Foundation on behalf of Ekiti state government, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Ebenezer Boluwade affirmed that the state received 10,000 bags of 10kg rice from the foundation which he said were mainly for the two religious bodies in the state.
The Commissioner stressed the need for the two bodies to ensure that the food gets to the vulnerable in their religious organization as a way of fulfilling Governor Oyebanji’s mantra of shared prosperity agenda to the people, noting that the food distribution is an intervention to support the less privileged in the society.
“We got 10,000 bags of 10kg rice from Aliko Dangote Foundation, it was actually meant to be distributed during the fasting period, you know the fasting of Muslims and Christians overlapped, so, it was actually meant for vulnerable that are Christians and Muslims, that is why you can see Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and their Muslim counterpart here today.
“Dangote gave a categorical instruction that we must distribute the rice to vulnerable that are Christians and Muslims.”, said Mr Boluwade, who used the opportunity to commend the foundation for the gesture and Governor Oyebanji for supporting the distribution of the commodity to the local government areas.
He issued stern warning to religious leaders saddled with the responsibility of distributing the food items to ensure that the items get to the actual people they were meant for, as government will not take it lightly with anyone who diverts the commodity to inappropriate destinations.
Presenting the commodity on behalf of Aliko Dangote Foundation, an Operation Officer with the Headquarters of the company in Lagos, Mr Victor Ejiro said the gesture was part of the foundation’s annual national food intervention programme, aimed at giving back to the people, and supporting governments in fighting poverty and hunger in Nigeria.
While affirming that Aliko Dangote is passionate about philanthropy and committed to ensuring that hunger is reduced to the barest minimum in Nigeria, Ejiro added that the purpose of the initiative is to help households in Nigeria alleviate the suffering they are going through in feeding themselves.
In their separate remarks, the Secretary of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Mr David Fabusuyi and the President, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Ahmed Bakare were full of praises to the donor and the state government, which facilitated the good gesture for deeming it fit to remember the downtrodden hoping that it will go a long way in alleviating the state of hunger the people are going through especially during the Muslim festive period.
The Clerics, who promised to ensure that the commodities get to the actual people they are meant for, thanked Governor Oyebanji for his welfare stance for the less privileged in the state.
