COVID-19 garlands

Editorial 

In the wake of donations from some of the country’s billionaires to assist the government on the crisis of COVID-19, direct assistance between donor and beneficiary has been on the rise.

Apart from sponsoring of soup kitchens in various communities by generous neighbours of modest means, Pertinence Limited, a real estate company co-founded in 2012 by Sunday Olorunsheyi and Wisdom Ezekiel, has offered free rent for three months to its tenants across the country.

Explaining the company’s economic relief initiative as part of Pertinence Group’s commitment to capacity enhancement and people empowerment, the company’s general manager, Jeffrey Ehikioya says in a letter to its tenants across the country: “We cannot turn a blind eye to how uncomfortable this period is for everyone. A lot of persons will be experiencing a serious decline in cash flow for a while due to this virus and its effect on businesses. We hope that making the next three months rent-free would take some burden off our tenants and help them focus on bouncing back.”

Pertinence Group’s resolve not to ignore the predicament of its tenants, apparently in the economically vulnerable class, is commendable. By giving its tenants three months of free rent, at a time that the country is in a nation-wide lockdown and many workers are in dire straits, the management of Pertinence has acted in admirable fidelity to its mission to assist citizens through empowerment. This initiative is worthy of emulation by other enterprises — small, medium, or big. No help is too small at a time of crisis.

The generosity of Pertinence Group ought to remind other companies that corporate social responsibility or corporate philanthropy does not stop at the doors of billionaires or large corporations. It is also expected during disasters such as COVID-19 from other categories of business that appreciate that wealth is created from people’s patronage of goods and services. We therefore call on more private sector players to emulate Pertinence at a time that all hands need to be on deck to lift or lessen the burden of COVID-19 on the economically less privileged.

Further, Pertinence Group’s preference for direct assistance to beneficiaries without red tape is worthy of the attention of other givers to the needy at this period of extreme national stress.

It is thus remarkable that the House of Representatives is already in talks with electricity distribution companies (DisCos) about a two-month electricity tariff holiday for citizens and residents. These are not normal times for citizens across the social spectrum, but the situation of over half of the population in the low economic bracket is critical and can be cushioned by gestures such as waiver of rent or payment of electricity or water bills during the period of lockdown.

We urge the National Assembly to encourage the executive about advantages of providing direct and verifiable assistance to citizens at a time that speed of delivery is paramount.

Relatedly, we find the readiness of many corporations and individuals to assist the government to give direct assistance to disadvantaged communities noble and laudable.  We compliment all those who have donated to fix hospitals, distribute food to the needy, and assist governments in defraying part of the cost of mitigating spread of coronavirus.

We urge citizens to remember that the best way to appreciate all forms of assistance at a time of such national disaster is to comply with lockdown rules and expert advice on social distancing and personal hygiene. While assistance from the privileged to the vulnerable is enviable at this critical time, compliance with regulations that can limit the spread of COVID-19, and restore the health of the nation, is crucial for all.