In a bid to cushion the effect of economic hardship on the people as a result of the petroleum subsidy removal, the senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli has distributed food items worth N35 million to about 3,000 widows in the district as palliatives.
Alli disclosed this during a three-day programme organised to support the widows drawn from across the nine local governments that made up Oyo South.
The lawmaker distributed the food items to widows drawn from the three local governments in Eruwa in Ibarapa zone of the senatorial district.
Alli restated his commitment to keeping his electioneering promises, saying that the programme was aimed at delivering dividends of democracy to the people.
“I decided that after reaching out to markets, we should now reach out to the widows. We have decided that it should be across the senatorial district.
“For this in the last three days, the total of it is well over N35 million and at the close of it, there will be over 3000 widows across the senatorial district.
“We are just beginning, this is just a tip of the iceberg. There are lots we have in plan for our people in areas like education, health, infrastructure and lots of other things,” he said.
The lawmaker urged other political office holders as well as the wealthy to reach out to people so as to cushion the effect of the current economic hardship.
“As members of the National Assembly, we’ve not been given any palliative to give to our people, but I decided on my own. I will implore others to also please let’s do same. I will advise other politicians to reach back to our people at home and also let us cushion the effect of the hardship our people are going through.
“We must assist the government in cushioning the effect of the hardship on our people,” he said.
Alli said that the issue of subsidy removal had come to stay, saying any contrary would only increase debt burden on Nigeria.
The lawmaker also inaugurated the ICT centres he facilitated in Ibadan and Igboora, while he also inaugurated a modern toilet facility he built at Ajomale compound in Oja-Oba, Ibadan.
Alhaji Mojeed Olaoya, the senatorial chairman of APC in Oyo South, commended the lawmaker, describing him as a promise keeper and generous leader.
Olaoya commended the lawmaker for doing so much in his first 100 days of assuming the office, assuring the people of Alli’s commitment to their welfare.