*Distributes food items to the poor
In keeping with her status as a caring organization, Lagos Diocese (Anglican Communion) on Thursday distributed Various food items targeted at over 1000 families in Lagos to alleviate the challenges facing them as a result of the lockdown ordered by both state and federal governments to fight the coronavirus pandemic, CYRIACUS NNAJI reports.
Lagos Diocese (Anglican Communion) known for its caring and philanthropic gestures has stood to be counted in the fight against the rampaging coronavirus pandemic in Lagos, with the donation of money and distribution of various food items.
Bishop of the Lagos Diocese, The Rt. Rev. (Dr) Humphrey Olumakaiye, made the disclosure in a paper delivered on his behalf by the Senior Secretary to the Diocese, Venerable Segun Ladeinde.
He said “Apart from the N5 million already paid by our Province into the designated account provided by the government, we are donating various food and other essential items directly to the weak and vulnerable in the state coupled with medical supplies to support the state in the fight against this pandemic.”
The church has also on Thursday distributed various food items to the less privileged and challenged Lagosians who were adversely hit by the lockdown order by both the state and Federal governments.
Part of the items distributed to over 1000 families in the diocese include 500 bags of 12.5kg rice; 500 bags of 5kg rice; 450 bags of 2kg garri; 20 bags of 50kg rice and 43 cartons of different sizes of vegetable oil.
Other items include 28 bags of sugar; 20 cartons of spaghetti; 50 cartons of noodles; 9 cartons of Macaroni; 34 cartons of milk; 25 cartons of beverage (Milo and Ovaltine); Lorry load of water and 75 cartons of sanitizer and other medical kits.
The Bishop commended Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu saying “We commend and appreciate the great work you have been doing, since the outbreak of the pandemic. A great leader is known during the time of crises, you have demonstrated an uncommon leadership strait.
He said “We deem it necessary, as a Diocese to lend our own support for the laudable efforts of the government to cushion the unsettling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on many families in Lagos State.
“We want to assure you that we are not just supporting you physically, our prayers are assured and we know that we will overcome this challenge soonest,” the Bishop’s paper read.
On his part, Venerable Segun Ladeinde, while speaking to the media on what necessitated the provision of the food items to the poor said “As a caring organization, we realize that we cannot be indifferent to the plight of the many challenged masses of the state, and that is why the diocese of Lagos is partnering with many other well meaning Nigerians, we have previously done it, we are trying to reach out to those who, ordinarily would not have any one to care for them.”
Speaking on the number of people being targeted for the palliatives, he said “Our desire for this first installment, hopefully we have the hope this whole thing will not be elongated for too long, but for the first installment, we are trying to reach out to a minimum of 1000 families, various people who are our neighbors where our various parishes are located, because if we have a church in a place it is our responsibility as a church to attend to every resident irrespective of their religion, because the church is a living organization,” Ladeinde stated.
He also spoke on the modality for distribution of the food items saying, “What we have done was to, because the diocese is divided into smaller units which are known as archdeaconries, this archdeaconries are further divided into parishes, where the actual people reside, so what we have done was to share it across the archdeaconries and subsequently to the parishes, where the workers in those parishes will take it to the door steps of the beneficiaries.”
Ladeinde stated that since the lockdown various parishes and archdeaconries under the diocese have been feeding a minimum of 500 people every day, “So we will continue to do this, but this one is just to reach out to ones at this time especially as Easter is approaching, so that many families will have a pleasurable Easter celebration.”
He also made it clear that no government could meet all the need of her people “We would be deceiving ourselves if we ever imagine that government can meet all the needs of its citizens, it is impossible, no government in the world meets the needs of all the citizens. On our own, we would continue to offer our own assistance to complement the efforts of government, if we see ourselves as one family together we can fight this battle and we will win the battle,” Ladeinde said.
