In line with his tradition of giving out free food items to residents of Ikorodu federal constituency on a monthly basis, the Hon Babajimi Benson’s I-Care Food Bank has given out over 500 food bags, containing raw food items and groceries to indigent members of the Ikorodu division ahead of this year’s Ileya festival.
Speaking at the distribution of the food bags otherwise known as Apo Aanu, Mayor Deen Sanwoola, Director-General of the I-Care Foundation, who stood in for Hon Jimi Benson at the distribution of the August ration of the food items, Deen stated that the distribution of the August ration was meant to assist the indigents in Ikorodu division to have food for themselves and their loved ones, in the spirit of the Eid-el Kabr festival, which is all about sacrifice.
Deen also stressed that, beyond the monthly food bank programme, the I-Care Food Bank has consistently sponsored economic empowerment initiatives like the recent non-refundable loan to market women and the Microsoft training facilitated for the empowerment of SMEs and aspiring youth entrepreneurs across Ikorodu federal constituency.
The food distribution programme also seves as a platform for elected and appointed political office holders across the division under the aegis of Ikorodu Division’s Executives and Legislative Volunteer Groups to also lend a hand of support to the indigents of the society on a quarterly basis. This initiative, we heard was Jimi Benson’s means of helping the LGA / LCDA executives and legislators opportunity to also reach out to their people. However, unlike the last quarter, when only Ikorodu LGA did not participate, this section of the food distribution was conspicuously scanty as only few local government and LCDA elected and appointed officials responded to this humanitarian call.
Investigation by Ikorodu Oga Radio shows that, only about two out of the Ikorodu division’s one local government and five LCDAs heeded this call to alleviate the suffering of the hungry within their locality. While it was discovered that some Councilors brought only a pack of evaporated Peak Milk, others brought only one pack of Indomie noodles. Interestingly, one councilor donated only nylon bags for packing the food items. Only Hon Sesan Daini of Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA brought four packets of Indomie noodles close to the end of the programme.
What is worrisome about this development is the fact that, they are only to compliment the I-Care Food Bank initiative in their own little way on a quarterly basis. One begins to wonder how much Hon Jimi Benson who has consistently sponsored the monthly programme all alone must have expended on this charity project in the last two years.
A concerned resident, who pleaded anonymity wondered what the local government and local council developments areas do with the resources at their disposal. He went further to say that, their action was more disturbing at a time they just received their monthly allocations.
Meanwhile, beneficiaries of the food bank initiative have continued to pray for Hon Jimi Benson and his team for rescuing them from hunger and suffering.
