In the spirit of the Easter celebration and the ongoing Ramadan, the Ogun State government yesterday continued its palliative distribution across the three senatorial districts of the state to cushion the effect of the current economic challenges on the people.
It was the turn of Christians as the palliative got to many churches, while some mosques also benefited from the gesture, an initiative of Governor Dapo Abiodun, on Friday.
The palliative, which included rice, were shared in churches and mosques in the three senatorial districts on Sunday and Friday.
In Ogun Central Senatorial District, the gift was extended to worshippers at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Ake, SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Isale Ake and the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), Ijaiye in Abeokuta South Local Government Area.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke, commended the governor for his kind gesture, noting that the palliative was another means of ameliorating the suffering of the people.
In separate remarks, the shepherd in charge of the Celestial Church, Joseph Talon, Mr. Abeeden Hammed and Mrs Julianah Adesanya, who said they were overwhelmed by the gesture, thanked the governor for the gift.
While appreciating the governor for the various interventions, they prayed to God to grant him a successful tenure.
In Ogun East Senatorial District, worshippers at Cathedral Church of St. Paul, C&S, Orisun Emi Alafia, and United Baptist Church all in Sagamu, Sagamu Local Government also benefitted from the palliative.
The Bishop of Remo Diocese, Methodist Church Nigeria, Bamidele Ibikunle, described the initiative as a welcome development.
Speaking on Sunday at the Rev. Mellor Methodist church, Agbowa, Sagamu, Ibikunle noted that the gesture would go a long way in easing the suffering of the people particularly those who are not sure of where the food would come from during the Easter period.
“It is an exciting thing to know that our governor is thinking well of the people and I am happy especially today that we are commemorating the Palm Sunday.
“We want to thank the governor in a special way for being mindful of his people because times are hard and this palliative will go a long way to ameliorating people’s suffering, particularly people who are not sure of what to eat at Easter can now have something on their table to eat with their families,” Ibikunle stated.
Also speaking, the Presbyter and Cathedral Administrator, Jacob Ayedola, acknowledged the hardship in the country and appreciated Abiodun for extending the gesture to his church members, calling on government at all levels to do more intervention programmes to bring succour to the people.
An elder in the church, Teju Ogunjimi, described the palliative as a welcome development, especially as the Easter is drawing near.
Churches where the palliatives were distributed on Sunday included; St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral Ake, Abeokuta, (Ogun Central), St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral Sagamu (Ogun East), SS Peter & Paul Catholic Cathedral Adatan Abeokuta, (Ogun Central), Catholic Cathedral Ijebu Ode, (Ogun East).
Other beneficiaries were: RHEMA Cathedral Ota (Ogun West), CAC Oke Segun, Akiniku, Ilaro (Ogun West), C.C.C Molipa Ijebu (Ogun East), C.C.C state HQ, Ijaiye, Abeokuta (Ogun West), Sacred Cherubim & Seraphim Church, Sagamu (Ogun East) and Methodist Cathedral Sagamu, (Ogun East).
Some Islamic faithful across the state also benefitted from the gesture on Friday. Speaking during the distribution at the Ijebu-Ode Central Mosque, the Grand Chief Imam, Miftaudeen Ayanbadejo, urged the federal government to temporarily open the nation’s borders to allow for inflow of goods to address the current hardship in the country.
The Imam noted that though giving palliative at this point in time would bring short time relief, opening the borders would make goods available at reasonable cost.
He said: “I thank His Excellency, Governor Abiodun for this palliative because there is hungry in the land and whatever the government can do to bring relief is welcome.
“For me, the best thing to do is for the governors to appeal to the president to open the borders for a short time even if it is for three months to allow things to normalise. Sending palliatives is temporary relief, but opening the borders will make the difference.”
Speaking after receiving his share of the palliative, a top ranking official in the mosque, Isiaka Adebanjo, appreciated Abiodun for the gesture and appealed for continuous distribution to enable it get to a large percentage of the populace.
At the Ilaro Central Mosque Muslims Community, the Chief Imam of the Mosque, Alhaji Tajudeen Adewunmi appreciated the governor for his efforts in bringing succour to the people, acknowledging that the gesture will go a long way in alleviating the suffering of the people.
“The hardship in the land is too much and it is telling on the people. You can imagine a situation where people can no longer afford three square meals per day.
“It is only God that can come to our rescue. Thank God that we have a governor who feels the pulse of the people and is ready to meet everybody at the point of their needs,” he said.
Other faithful, including Alhaja Amudalat Kikelomo Akinola noted that the governor has continued to positively affect the lives of residents by bearing their burden
