… Distributes rice, salt, sugar to workers, others
By Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
Minister of Solid Minerals Development and former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has embarked on stomach infrastructure.
Yesterday, he distributed bags of rice, packs of spaghetti, semolina, wheat, salt and sugar.
Those who benefitted from the gesture include civil servants, artisans, nursing mothers, physically challenged, Okada riders, students, among others.
The items were distributed at the John Kayode Fayemi Leadership Centre in Ajilosun area of the state capital.
The former governor, who was represented by the centre’s Director, Mr. Abiodun Omoleye, said the wind of hunger blowing in Ekiti calls for concern and advised that engaging in food production would help stem hunger in the land.
Omoleye said the concept behind the programme was to help poor citizens of the state to get on even in the face of the hard, biting and suffocating economic situation and not to score cheap political points arising from salary arrears
“The wind of hunger blowing in Ekiti now is unpleasant. It seems hunger is gradually taking over the land and, that is why we who are privileged must continue to identify with the poor.
“This has no political or ethnic colouration. It is just a means of helping the needy. Taking cognisance of what is happening in Ekiti now, when we read in the newspapers that some civil servants steal food on the fire, our people must embrace farming as a way of life. Food production remains the best for now and nothing more.
“We must all rise to save our state and the future of our children. Some cannot be living in opulence when some could not afford one square meal a day. This welfare programme is going to be a continuous one and we shall do it in a way that would have positive impact on the lives of our people at the community, ward and local government levels,” he said.
The minister added that Nigeria is presently in the era of change under a ‘focused and purposeful’ leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. He advised people to key into all the programmes of the Federal Government by learning how to do things in different ways.
Fayemi said the centre will soon embark on leadership training for unemployed youths in the state while empowerment programmes will be initiated for artisans and other groups .