SMP 70 , LBS Alumni Feed Families Displaced by Insecurity in Lagos

Chiamaka Ozulumba

The President SMP 70, Senior Management Alumni of the Lagos Business School (LBS), Francisca Ukabiala, has said that the set is committed towards providing succour to vulnerable people in the society.

SMP 70, she noted, focused on helping families displaced by insecurity, mostly from Borno State. Thses are people squatting in squalid conditions at Wassan Trailer park at Doyin, Orile area. Other beneficiaries are women whose shops were destroyed during the End SARS protest last year.

The SMP 70 in partnership with LBS and Flour Mills of Nigeria, took off with its first Corporate Social Responsibility with distribution of food stuff to the over 100 beneficiaries.

Ukabiala told newsmen that the group of 25 professionals had a meeting about two months ago on their general well-being.

“We found out that a lot of us were anxious, and mostly women with children had anxiety because of the situation in the country. We decided to have a seminar on how to be security conscious in a country bedevilled by insecurity,” she explained.

With this, Ukabiala said the initiative is part of their mandate to positively impact their community

The Vice President, Biodun Adaralegbe, assured newsmen that the initiative is out of their desire to give back to the society or to put a smile on the faces of the vulnerable people.

According to him, the association intends to reach out to the displaced people, who are affected by insecurity and the End SARS protest four times each year.

Meanwhile, among the beneficiaries is Mrs. Bode Dominique. She is a widow from Ajegunle, who expressed boundless joy having received some cartons of noodles and pastas.

“We are widows from the Nigeria Youth Assembly (NYA). Our president told us about this initiative.

“I’ve been a widow for four years. I’m a trader. I sell food. It is the grace of God that is pushing me. I lost my shop during the End SARS problem.”

Sadly for Dominique, after she lost her husband, his children from his first wife sent her parking, stripping her of everything. “So I returned to my father’s house.

Although she has a certificate in Catering and Hotel Management, she is yet to utilise her skills. “I was selling food because I have no help to start my catering business. But my shop was destroyed last year during the End SARS protest last year.”

She showed gratitude: “May God bless them and enlarge their coast. They will never lose their husbands. It’s not easy to be alone.”

Now Nkechi Ikokwu is another beneficiary. She has been a widow for four years with no source of income. “I’m not doing anything for now, but I want to do something.

“I have four children. The eldest is 18. I’m so excited because there will be food for my kids and I. They will be very happy.”

Just like other beneficiaries, they look forward to more help, especially to get established.