In his stride to ensure the Federal Government Social Intervention program gets to the grassroot in Ikorodu Federal Constituency, House of Representative Member representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency Honourable Babajimi Adegoke Benson distributed over 3000 5kg bags of rice to residents in the axis.
Newsconnect reports that the beneficiaries of the social intervention include the aged, widow, Physically challenged, online beneficiaries and over 150 religious organisation from Churches and mosques.
Our medium also gathered that the Federal Government Social Intervention according to its handlers is aimed to ease the economic hardship experienced by the people as a result of the ripple effect of removal of fuel subsidy.
In an interview with Newsconnect correspondence and Deen Sanwoola, the Director-General of iCare Foundation at the constituency office of Honourable Babajimi Benson said the intervention is going to be continuous, that they have put mechanism in place to ensure the same categories of people who have gotten didn’t get food items multiple times when other people haven’t gotten.
In his own words, he said;
“Yes, there are control mechanisms, one of which is ensuring that different churches and mosques are considered in the next circle.
“According to our sharing formula, larger percentage of vulnerable people in Ikorodu Federal Constituency will benefit because the intervention definitely is not going to be a one-off thing”. He said
In another interview at the constituency office with the State Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Comrade Lekan Billiaminu Oba said the intervention is a welcome development and commendable considering the lack of transparency narratives with many politicians at the helms of affair.
In his words, he said;
“This is a welcome development, for the first time we are seeing the Government reaching out to the grassroot. Most times people at the helms of affair are always finding it difficult to reach the grassroot.
“This is the first time I am seeing intervention getting to the grassroot from the Federal government. For me, it is also commendable.
“Honourable Babajimi Benson is making this intervention come to life. For him to say this intervention is coming from the FG, if it were to be other politicians, they will want to lay claims to it so as to score cheap political points.
“Jimi Benson has his own ‘APO ANU’ program on a monthly basis for vulnerable groups in his constituency. For him to say this particular one is coming from the FG to the people in Ikorodu Federal constituency and not his initiative, for me sounds great.
“This is what we keep advocating. If those that are representing us are not showing transparency by differentiating FG intervention from theirs like Honourable JB did, nobody is going to know.
“At the end of the day, everybody would think the Federal Government is doing nothing. Trust me there is no month FG doesn’t release FAAC to all the states. There is no month the LG doesn’t get their own JAC. At the end of the day, someone would say nothing is coming from the FG to the grassroot level.
“This intervention is actually here to change our orientation that truly the FG has a social intervention plan for the people. So if JB is doing this, other House of Representative members should replicate same in their various constituency as well.
“If all of us can be sincere in doing the business of government the way we should do it, the whole world is going to be a better place”. He said.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with our medium to appreciate the gesture by the Federal Government through Honourable Babajimi Benson include representative of Anwarul Islam Ikorodu Central, representative of Celestial Church of Christ Orisun Adura Cathedral, Aga and representative from Igboguro central mosque.
In his word, Aare Muizdeen Ayodele representative of Anwarul Islam in Ikorodu central said;
“On behalf of our Imam and members at Anwar in Ikorodu central, we say thank you to Honourable JB for identifying with us.
“He gave us rice but it is not about the rice, the representation is what really matters. This is laudable, we have been having representatives before now, but JB has come to change the dynamism of politics.
“Giving back to the people, letting them feel we have somebody representing us. I call him the game changer because nobody has done something like this before now. I am a politician, but I am not a beneficiary of this intervention. Although I have benefitted from his numerous interventions before now.
“The religious organisations here have said a lot of wonderful things about him. They said nobody has called them for any intervention before now. It is laudable” he said.
Assistant Venerable Omowunmi Ayodele from Celestial Church of Christ Orisun Adura Cathedral, Aga said;
“We heard about this intervention through CAN and the woman leader of iCare Foundation. I want everyone to continue to pray for honourable Jimi Benson. He has been trying among all politicians in Ikorodu. He is exceptional. I pray God will continue to strengthen him to do more.
“He doesn’t discriminate with his interventions. Whether you are in PDP, Labour party, he doesn’t discriminate in his intervention. He carries everyone along”. He said
Comrade Bakare Saheed from Igboguro central mosque in Ijede said;
“We thank our honourable JB, he has done well. We are told to share this with less privilege members in our mosque. May God continue to elevate him and be with him for all he does and still doing for humanity as a politician”.