By Tajudeen Adebanjo
The Lagos Secretariat Community Central Mosque (LSCCM) has begun door-to-door distribution of food relief packages targeted at mitigating hardships caused by the lockdown.
The packages were given to vulnerable members of the society, especially those within and around Alausa in Ikeja Local Government.
Some of the food items were given to Lagos Television (LTV) and Radio Lagos/Eko FM, for onward distribution to vulnerable persons who visited the media for assistance.
Speaking during the distribution, the Chairman of the LSCCM, Dr. Tajudeen Afolabi, said the gesture was to lessen the burden of those incapacitated by the lockdown order of the government, adding that it would also support the distribution of relief materials to Lagosians.
He said: “We want to leverage on the influence of these stations on the populace such that the donated items can actually get to those who need them. Being media organisations, those in need of assistance usually come to these places to seek help. That was why we decided to include the two stations as part of the clusters we were reaching out to with the relief materials.”
Acknowledging the efforts of the state government in the distribution of thousands of stimulus packages to Lagosians since the beginning of the lockdown order, Afolabi said that it was important for other organisations and religious bodies to complement the efforts of the government.
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“Today, we have reached out to over 1,000 beneficiaries. The reality is that the government cannot do it alone. This is why we have joined several corporate organisations and individuals that have done similar things. I believe several others will still do likewise,” he said.
Afolabi said that the executive members of the Secretariat Mosque had handed over some of the donated items to the chief imams of the mosques visited within the vicinity for distribution to the community members, who were in need.
He noted that the exercise will continue as the Ramadan is about to start.
According to him, there won’t be the usual gathering of the people at the Secretariat Mosque in compliance with the social distancing order of the government.
The Chief Imam, Alausa Central Mosque, Alhaji Soliu Rufai, thanked the leadership of the mosque for their thoughtfulness and gesture to reach out to their immediate communities.
He urged clerics and their followers to obey government directives on congregational prayers during the Ramadan.
“Although this is the first time Muslims are going to observe Ramadan in isolation, no matter what they have to adhere to the directives of the government to ensure that the virus does not spread should be done. This is for our own good. I pray that God Almighty will make it easy for us.”
Rufai enjoined the government and wealthy Muslims to assist the vulnerable during the holy month of Ramadan.
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