The Oluwaseun People Foundation (OPF) on Friday distributed food items to Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), widows and the elderly in some parts of Osun State, south-west Nigeria.
The foundation’s founder, Oluwaseun Alabi, handed over the food items to the beneficiaries at Iwo, Ede, Irewole, and Isokan Local Government Areas of the state.
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Mr Alabi, a pastor and philanthropist, said he is committed to supporting vulnerable communities in the state and promised to continue the exercise.
He expressed condolences to the families of the victims of stampedes that claimed many lives in Ibadan, Abuja, and Anambra states during distribution of food items.
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Many Nigerians have been grappling with hardship since removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira by the President Bola Tinubu.
However, the federal government has rolled out some measures to cushion the effect of the policies.
Some of the initiatives are the increment of the minimum wage from N33,000 to N70,000, release of 200,000 metric tonnes of grains from strategic reserves to households across the 36 states and the FCT and provision of 225,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser, seedlings and other inputs to farmers.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently said the number of Nigerians living in multi-dimensional poverty stood at over 133 million. The figure represents 63 per cent of the nation’s population.
No political ambition
The Deputy Coordinator of the Foundation, Salensile Muideen, said the founder has no political ambition and the food distribution exercise was not attached to any political motive.
“We started in Iwo and Ayedire two days ago. Yesterday, we were in Ede to distribute palliatives, and today, we are in Irewole Federal Constituency. We are currently in Ikoyi, and this is our second stop here.
“We will still visit Ikire and Apomu to distribute more palliatives. This is not the first time, and it will not be the last. To God be the glory, our principal, Pastor Oluwaseun Basil Alabi, has been doing exceptionally well. Kudos to him.
“It’s a major step forward for us. Our people are very happy to receive us because it is challenging to give during these tough economic times in Nigeria. If someone can give this much without holding any political position, it speaks volumes about his generosity,” he said.
On his part, the Secretary of the foundation, Gboyega Bakare, said each package given to the beneficiaries contained rice, garri, noodles, and other food items.
“We understand that no amount of food items given to an individual can fully satisfy human needs. However, at this moment when things are so expensive in the country, we are at least able to bring some relief to the needy.
“Each bag contains rice, garri, noodles, and other items. For a family of four or five, it can provide a meal per day. The goal is to offer some relief,” Mr Bakare said.
The secretary explained that the distribution was done properly to avoid stampede.
“This year’s event was particularly significant because we organised the beneficiaries into clusters to avoid the unfortunate incidents of stampedes seen elsewhere.
“We attended to beneficiaries in batches, gave them tags, and ushered them in. Each person received a bag containing various food items. Afterward, they were seated while the next batch was attended to. This method ensured no one was pushed or made to suffer,” he added.
