In the outbreak of the Corona virus pandemic in Lagos, the Lagos State Government, under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has been working round the clock to salvage the situation. However, some low level politicians, who do not care about the plight of their constituents, are more concerned about their pockets and their selfish actions and are undermining Governor Sanwo-Olu’s effort.
As part of the governor’s frantic efforts to alleviate the people’s plight during the lockdown, he disbursed the sum of ten million naira to each local government council in Lagos State to be used for the purchase and distribution of food items to the vulnerable people living in the councils.
The six local government councils in Ikorodu division received a total of sixty million naira. Each chairman received ten million naira to be used to providing relief food items for the people but what they did with the fund is nothing to write home about.
Many starving residents in Ikorodu looked in vain as they have only received few relief material from the council officials after the much televised support programme.
They got to know that the state governor had released ten million naira each to the chairmen of the six councils in Ikorodu Division and the chairmen spent just a paltry sum of few million naira, or thereabout, to purchase and supplied meagre foods stuff to a handful beneficiaries. This greedy and selfish chairmen clearly don’t give a damn about anyone in their respective constituencies as they syphoned the relief funds.
Many residents who got the information on how the state governor released the fund to the chairmen were angry and felt disappointed in the conduct of the council chairmen.
It is a pity that chairmen for Ikorodu West, Ikorodu North, Imota, Ijede and Igbogbo-Bayeku councils could not buy any decent quantity of food for their people because they hoarded the cash given to them.
Some of the active community residents have taken to social media to express their disappointment on the conduct of the chairmen. A particular couple called out Wasiu Adeshina, Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government and tongue-lashed him for being so greedy and selfish. Another video on Facebook showed a middle-aged women from Agbowa community, placing course on the council chairmen. According to the woman in the video, the greedy and selfish chairmen will spend their ill-gotten fortune treating their household in the hospital for ailments.
Such selfish act by these men is not only bad for the people, it robs off on the governor who has been working tirelessly to salvage the situation. For those who didn’t know the governor had sent such relief fund to their local government areas, they will continue to think the governor does not care about them.
Unlike these ignoble council chairmen, some private individuals and non-governmental organisations have been rendering support to people in Ikorodu division. The humble MD of Polaris Bank, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, Otunba Steve Anifowose, who is presently in the United States, Mr. Debo Esumade Eniayewun, Publisher of Oriwu Sun, Monzor Olowosago, and the Eko International Forum and others have all contributed their quota to the people in their immediate environment.
They didn’t get cash from the government, yet went out of their ways to give to the needy in Ikorodu.
It is obvious that the council chairmen are representing their pockets, even in the face of humanitarian crisis, they stole from the vulnerable people, many believe the governor must hear this and institute a probe panel into this matter.