The former commissioner for Works and Transport in Oyo state, Hon. Abdulrahman Afonja on Tuesday commenced the distribution of over 3000 palliatives to Christians and Muslims to commemorate Lent and Ramadan period.
The exercise, aimed at targeting over 250 beneficiaries per day across Ogbomoso zone, was conducted through several platforms including distribution on radio programs, house to house distribution to elderly people, as well as to the poorest of the poor households and members of Peoples Democratic Party in the zone.
Afonja, who will also be orchestrating an unprecedented Ramadan/Lenten Lecture to bring together large chunks of Ogbomoso residents including Muslim and Christian brethren, in a spirit of harmony and mutual support, is expected to role out more food packs such as Rice, Beans and Garri to cushion the effect of economic hardship in the country.
Speaking with newsmen, the Ogbomoso North PDP chieftain said the overlap of Lent and Ramadan buttresses the fact that what binds us together exceeds what separates us.
According to him, this is a period that both Muslims and Christians need to come together in a spirit of harmony to pray for our country and extend a helping hands to the needy.
He said: “There's hunger in the land. Some are comfortable while the majority of people in Oyo State are suffering. I received calls and text messages from families that don't know what tomorrow holds for them. I feel their pain, and I have to do my best to feed as many people as possible with the little Almighty Allah has given me.
“I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to be able to give back to my people. I have been doing this for the past seven years, and I have my record to prove it. This year, I changed my style of distributing the food palliative so that it will be more effective than in the past, and I am fully involved in this one. We are on our way to feed 3000 people. We have already surpassed 2,457 at the time of this interview. This can never be enough, so I will continue to do my best to alleviate the suffering in the land, and I hope others join me on this journey.”
The former commissioner for Works and Transport distributed the palliatives via a number of radio stations, including Boluwatife: Thursday: 1:45 p.m.; Monday: 9:45 p.m.; Oladuni bello parrot fm; Agbokaha: 2:30 p.m.; Riyadh: 6:00 a.m.; Jumah Mubarak brave fm: Friday, 10:11 a.m.; Siratul mustekim parrot fm: Friday, 5:30 p.m.; Jimoh kuola: Thursday, 8:30.
The palliatives was also extended to old-age people, Ogbomoso PDP party members, Central mosque, Owode Police station, Ogbomoso Police Area Command; NPF monitoring; Civil Defense; Operation Burst; Amotekun; CAN, Landlord association; Hospitals; Afonja Secondary School alumni; Motherless home; Leprosy; Blinds, People with disabilities, among others.
One of the beneficiaries, simply identified as Mr Lawore in Aguodo Masifa, Ogbomoso North, commended Professor Afonja for his philanthropic gesture over the years.
Mr. Ezekiel, another recipient from the Orire local government, expressed gratitude to God for the palliative during a time when he and his family had nothing to eat. He prayed God to continue to bless the former commissioner.
On her part, a member of Peoples Democratic Party in Ogbomoso South local government, said Professor Afonja is a kind man who enjoys making a difference in people's lives with what Allah has given him.
She also mentioned some of the empowerment programs he did to touch lives of many people across the five local governments in Ogbomoso while serving as Commissioner for Works and Transport.
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