By Chinelo Obogo
Senator Tokunbo Abiru representing Lagos East District formerly launched his COVID19 relief fund scheme on Thursday, April 3, with beneficiaries already receiving N5000 monthly.
At the launch which took place at his Ikorodu constituency office in Lagos, Abiru said the fund which has 2000 beneficiaries is just one of the many projects he has lined up, promising that more of such schemes like the Traders Assistance Scheme for Markets, scholarships and bursary awards for qualified students in higher institutions, will commence before the end of the second quarter of the year.
Besides the scheme which commenced in January this year, on Monday, February 22, Abiru said his team was at the headquarters of Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, (LASUBEB) in Maryland, Lagos where they donated 150,000 face masks for primary school pupils in his senatorial district.
On how he has been able to work with the Federal Government to attract projects to the district, Abiru, who was elected on December 5, 2020, after the demise of his predecessor, Sikiru Osinowo, said he has been able to facilitate a N30,000 Federal Government Survival Fund for 370 transporters and artisans in his district.
He said the first tranche was paid about two weeks ago and there are two more tranches to be received, while other interventions being pursued include; Guaranteed Take – Off grant, CAC Business Formalization for MSME. He also said under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, he facilitated the disbursements of N20,000 to 100 rural women across the district in February and the disbursement exercise was held at Police College Ground, Ikeja Lagos.
“I have made necessary contact to make up for what was almost lost out like the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s agricultural-focused intervention like Anchor Borrower Scheme and Agricultural Credit Support Schemes (ACSS) domiciled with the apex bank. Agriculture being the mainstay occupation of large majority of our people in the hinterlands of Ikorodu, Epe, Ikosi Ejinrin and Origanrigan, Oshoroko, Okunraye, Tiye and other coastal communities in Ibeju Lekki axis. We shall continue to ensure that our people get necessary support for economic prosperity.
“I have also engaged Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) in the presidency to partner with us to build Primary Health Care facilities, Rehabilitation of Primary Schools and establishment of vocational training centers in the Lagos East District. I shall be giving updates on these proposed projects as they progress,” Abiru said.