By Chinelo Obogo
For nine consecutive months running, 1,079 beneficiaries of the Senator Tokunbo Abiru COVID-19 financial assistance scheme received direct credit in their bank accounts today across 98 wards of the 16 Local Governments and the Local Council Development Areas LCDAs in Lagos East Senatorial District.
According to the Senator’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Enitan Olukotun, those that benefitted this September belong to the batch A category and over 1000 beneficiaries in the category B will receive support next month.
The COVID-19 support scheme kicked off January, 2021 in fulfilment of the promise made by Senator Abiru during the electioneering to assist the poorest of the poor across the Lagos East Senatorial District.
“Selected beneficiaries have been getting N5000 assistance once in two months since the beginning of the year and it will run through the year by way of direct credit to their bank accounts. Beneficiaries include physically-challenged persons, aged, unemployed youth, widows and other vulnerable people in the senatorial district.
“Senator Abiru, an accomplished banker has been breaking new frontiers in less than 10 months in the saddle. The Senator’s legislative agenda which is predicated on provision of good to the greater number of the people is already being felt across the socio-strata in the district.
“Concerned about the plight of constituents and other road users plying Ikorodu/Sagamu Road and Ikorodu/Itoikin/Epe Epe Road, the Senator moved a motion calling on the Federal Government to urgently intervene on the two critical roads. Following the motion, contractors have since moved to site on Ikorodu Sagamu road.
“Under same period, Senator Abiru sponsored a bill titled, ‘The Copyright Act Repeal And Re-enactment Bill, 2021’ that will replace the extant Copyright Act Cap C28 LFN 2004. The critical bill that will revolutionise the knowledge and intellectual property industry has scaled second reading on the floor of the Senate. Public hearing will be held on the bill in October.
“Senator Abiru also facilitated four blocks of 24 classrooms equipped with furniture and modern instruction materials, 16 toilets to Aga Primary School. The completed blocks of classrooms is completed and billed for commissioning soon. In Epe, a mini stadium is currently under construction and a 40-bed Primary Health Centre is coming to Agboyi-Ketu LCDA.
“In October, 600 brilliant tertiary institutions students in the Lagos East Senatorial District will benefit from the Senator’s Annual Bursary Scheme and in November, in partnership with Fate Foundation, about 1, 000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the District will be trained in a two-day MSME Clinic,” Olukotun said.