By SOLOMON ASOWATA

Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) on Friday donated food items worth N26.6 million to the Lagos State Government to support relief efforts to citizens during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the food items, presented by Mr Adeoye Fadeyibi, Managing Director, EKEDC, were received on behalf of the government by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Gbolahan Lawal.

The items include 3,000 bags of 5kg rice, 3,000 bags of 5kg beans, 3,000 bags of 5kg garri, 3,000 cartons of tomato paste, 3,000 cartons of groundnut oil and 2,000 cartons of noodles.

Fadeyibi thanked the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his team for their commendable and rapid response in handling the COVID-19 situation.

According to him, a large majority of individuals who earn a living from their daily activities have been having hard times, and the economy is slowing down due to the state-wide lockdown.

Fadeyibi said: “EKEDC will not stand aside and watch, as this virus ravages our city and threatens our fellow citizens and our way of life.

“That is why our board and management has approved a budget of N150 million towards assisting the government during this crisis.

“The approved budget will be used to provide relief items for the low income earners and less privileged.

“It will also be used to invest in infrastructure to deliver consistent electricity to isolation centers within our coverage area.”

He urged the Private Sector to support the government by lending a helping hand to communities in Lagos State during the critical period.

“We continue to pray and hope that all the factors in play in Lagos state and across Nigeria result in our country being less vulnerable and more fortunate than others have been, as we battle this pandemic.

“We all are required to be conscious of and practice social distancing as we continue maintaining high standards of hygiene, sanitary conditions and safety in order to beat and survive this COVID-19 pandemic.”

Responding, Lawal commended EKEDC for the gesture and called on other corporate entities to emulate the DisCo by supporting the government’s relief efforts.

Lawal assured the donors that the items would be utilised judiciously to ensure that they bring succour to the people of the state, especially those worst hit by the lockdown.

He also debunked the claim that only members of the ruling party were benefiting from the relief support.

The commissioner said that items were being distributed through Community Development Associations, councillors, religious bodies and traditional rulers.

“So, Lagosians should just be calm. They should stay at home and maintain social distancing guidelines to help us contain this pandemic.

” We are targeting 200,000 at the first instance, of which we will be able to complete 100,000 households by Saturday.

“We are also restrategising on the model of distribution and we are calling for more support because we want to be distributing house by house.

“We don’t know how long this lockdown will be, but we want to assure Lagosians that a lot of people are supporting us and they should bear with the government because it is for the good of everybody,” he said. (NAN)

•PHOTO: Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Gbolahan Lawal briefing the Managing Director of Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Mr Adeoye Fadeyibi, on the government’s relief efforts during the presentation of food items by the company to the government on Friday

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