Sen. Abiru launches COVID-19 Relief Financial Assistance for constituents, vows not to fail
By Adeleye Adeyemi
Sen. Adetokunbo Abiru (APC-Lagos East) on Thursday reiterated his commitment not to abandone or fail any of his constituents in both representation and improved welfare.
Abiru gave this assurance at the formal launch of Senator Tokubbo Abiru COVID-19 Relief Financial Assistance in Lagos where he unveiled bimonthly for 2000 constitutents.
He said that the assistance was a scheme designed to ameliorate the devastating economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mass of our people at the bottom of the pyramid.
“The vulnerable segments in our constituency, the Lagos East Senatorial District will not be abandoned in the face of the greatest phenomenon in recent history.
“I was inaugurated on the 15th December, 2020 as the Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The sense of urgency that my team attached to the welfare of the poorest of the poor in our midst, compelled us to hit the ground running immediately.
“We cannot afford to fail young children who have chosen to learn.
“It is our duty as leaders to protect these minors who are the most vulnerable segment of the society in the context of the war against COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
Abiru said that his team reached out to party leaders, spiritual fathers in Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and League of Imams in the district to draw up a list of less privileged beneficiaries.
According to him, the beneficiaries, who include widows, unemployed youths, women , physically-challenged persons among others, receive a stipend of N5,000 each monthly.
“I have the honour of informing you that over 2,000 of vulnerable people in 98 wards across 16 local government areas in the Senatorial district have benefited N5,000 (Five Thousand Naira) support scheme since January.
“The beneficiaries who are scheduled into two categories are getting the assistance bimonthly (that is once in two months), and it will run through the year 2021 by way of direct credit to their bank accounts.”
“Having successfully piloted two (2) streams of payments to beneficiaries under the scheme, we deemed it fit to formally launch the scheme as the third stream of payment for the month of March will be paid today,” he said.
He said that this intervention was one in the series of lined up interventions that were targeted at the critical demography in district.
According to him, other that will follow in this new quarter are: The Traders Assistance Scheme for market, Scholarship and bursary award for qualified students in Higher Institutions of learning.
Abiru said that through doggedness and proactiveness, he had been able to facilitate a N30,000 Federal Government Survival Fund for 370 transporters and artisans in our district.
The senator said that the first tranche was paid about two weeks ago and the beneficiaries had two more tranches to receive.
He said that other interventions he was vigorously pursuing included Guaranteed Take – Off grant, and CAC Business Formalisation for MSME.
According to him, under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, he has facilitated disbursements of N20,000 to 100 rural women across the district in February.
He said that he had made necessary contact to make up for what was almost lost, as benefits to the district, due to the demise of his late predecessor, Sen.Adebayo Osinowo.
Abiru said that such benefits included the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s agricultural-focused intervention like Anchor Borrower Scheme and Agricultural Credit Support Schemes (ACSS) domiciled with the apex bank.
He said: “We shall continue to ensure that our people get necessary support for economic prosperity.
“I have also engaged Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) in the presidency to partner with us to build Primary Health Care facilities, Rehabilitation of Primary Schools and establishment of vocational training centers in the Lagos East District.
The senator said that his team had also donoted 150,000 face masks for primary school pupils in district through the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, (LASUBEB) to ensure pulpils’ safety while learning.
He added: “Be assured that the Lagos East Senatorial District won’t be short changed in the scheme of things .
“We are constantly looking out for opportunities for our people and working assiduously to attract development to the district.
“We are currently engaging the authorities on the Ikorodu/ Sagamu Expressway on how the contractors can return to site. Ditto for Ikorodu/ Itoikin /Epe road.”
He said that all his interventions so far had been guided by the feedback from residents through the NEEDS Assessment we conducted using scientific research.
The senator said that he opened four Liaison offices across Epe, Ibeju/Lekki, Somolu and Kosofe to serve as administrative support outlets for the constituency headquarters in Ikorodu.
Speaking, the Lagos APC Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, represented by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Seye Oladejo, said that Abiru had been able to represent his constituency at the upper chamber diligently.
Balogun said that Abiru had shown that he was capable of giving back to his constituency at the appropriate time and at the point of need.
He enjoined beneficiaries to make the best use of whatever they were given and keep faith with the party while they remained law abiding citizens and peaceful.
In his remarks, a former Lagos Dep. Gov. Abiodun Ogunleye, said that the leadership and constituents were proud of Abiru in ensuring happiness gets to the mass majority of the masses.
Alhaji Shakirudeen Seriki, another chieftain of APC commended Abiru for touching lives across all the 11 council areas that made up Lagos East, saying” the difference is clear”.
Sen. Anthony Adefuye, a member of the Governor’s Advisory Committee (GAC), who commended Abiru’s humility said that the senator had been able to affect so many lives, having going to senate just to help the people.
Another APC leader, Chief Kaoli Olusanya urged the beneficiaries to use the financial assistance to grow business and better lives.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the beneficiaries at the launch attested the the benevolence of the senator.
A beneficiary, Mr Olugbade Mufutau, 73, expressed joy and appreciated the kind gesture of Abiru in trying to reach out to the aged and other vulnerable in the society.
Mrs Omobola Badru, a trader, called on other politicians to emulate Abiru philanthropic efforts.
Ms Bosede Oladapo, a Person Living With Disability, thanked Abiru for including PLWD in the scheme while urging him to do more for them in terms of provision to of jobs.
