The beneficiaries receiving the food items
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| The food items donated by the FEDEPE staff |
Abibat Adeola, Osogbo.
Some workers in Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun state, under the aegis of a group called Concerned and Socially Responsible Staff, have donated food items to aged residents of Ede town in a bid to cushion effects of the restriction meant to prevent spread of coronavirus in the state.
The food items worth over N1 million were given to the residents, who are mostly elderly men and women, as parts of corporate social responsibility of the workers to the residents of the host community of the institution.
Speaking with newsmen, the coordinator of Concerned and Socially Responsible of Staff, Federal Polytechnic Ede, Dr Samson Olasunkanmi, said restriction of movement had caused untold hardship on many residents.
He said the donation was meant to ameliorate the sufferings of the people.
Olasunkanmi said, “We have realised that the lockdown imposed by the government to curb of the spread of coronavirus has brought negative impact on the people, especially the daily income earners.
“Many of them cannot feed themselves and members of their family because they don’t have any other means of livelihood, if they don’t go out to work daily.
“So, the gesture is part of our corporate social responsibility. Our members felt it is right to reach out to people by providing food items for them.
“We really appreciate our members for their selflessness. They have been responsible and responsive towards this cause. We are reaching out to these people who are most vulnerable within the Institution’s environment.”
He further explained that some ex students of the institution also contributed towards the cause, adding that the first set of beneficiaries were the aged and pregnant women.
He then assured that the second phase of the distribution would cater for other categories of the vulnerable residing within Ede town.
In his remarks, the Rector of the institution Dr. John Adekolawole, who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Isiaka Adelabu, commended residents for the hospitality extended to the staff of the institution.
The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Sola Lawal, in his remarks, commended the beneficiaries for comporting themselves in orderly manner.
He also lauded senior staff of the institution that donated the food items, stressing that the gesture would assist government in providing for the needs of the people during the period they were asked to stay at home.
