Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural body Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has donated N3m for food and procurements of essential items to patients of COVID-19 across the six states in the Southwest, including Kwara and Kogi states.
The funds were meant for the procurement of essential items such as food and other necessities for patients under treatment at various isolation centres of the aforementioned states.
National Coordinator of the group and the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland Otunba Gani Adams said the cash donation was aimed at assisting governments towards improved treatment for all the patients at isolation centres.
Adams said OPC’s intervention became imperative following an earlier intervention by sister organisation in Diaspora-Oodua Progressive Union(OPU), which also donated funds and food items to governments.
Adams lamented the infection continues to surge despite all efforts by the various governments at easing the lock down in some states.
He urged governments at all levels to toe Madagascar’s path by looking into alternate medicine in order to further contain the spread of the virus.
Going down memory lane Adams said: “It all began when members of OPU across all the 87 countries in the world contributed over five million for palliative for victims of COVID-19. That gesture came at a time when the lockdown was at its peak.
“The funds were meant for the procurement of essential items, such as food items and other necessities for the patients that have been receiving treatments at the isolation centres across the six states, including Kwara and Kogi states”
“So, the feedback we got from the first phase of the palliative was remarkable and it was the success that led to this second phase.”
He continued:”The intention is to extend our hands of generousity to patients of COVID-19 that are mostly affected. We noticed also that in the wake of this global pandemic, the Nigerian economy and that of the entire world has been stagnant, leading to the idea of putting in place various palliative measures extended mostly to victims as well as the vulnerable citizens in our country in order to cushion the effect of the ‘stay-at- home’ order of the Federal and state governments.
“Besides, each of our members made the contributions as sacrifice for our people and also for our race, at this difficult moment. It is not as if we are rich, we did it for posterity and that is the reason for raising the funds for the palliative,” he said.
Publicity Secretary of the group Yinka Oguntimehin described the donation as timely and necessary,adding that OPC would be willing to play its roles to the Yoruba race in every situation.
