A philanthropist in Ekiti state, Mr Opeyemi Falegan, has counselled the federal and sub-national governments to consider social policies to reduce poverty in the country.
Falegan who is the founder of Opeyemi David Falegan Foundation (ODFF) said paying monthly stipends to widows and other vulnerable persons in the country would help to cushion the current biting economic effects.
According to him, the policy will address the inclusivity being clamoured and ensure that parts of their basic needs of Nigerians are met.
He spoke in Ado Ekiti during the annual empowerment programme of the foundation where over 1,000 widows, the aged, the physically-challenged and other vulnerable persons as well as market women were presented with cash gift and food items.
Falegan also visited the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Abiye Hospital, to pay the bills of indigent patients, distributed free fuel to motorists/motorcyclists and assisted petty traders to clear their loans from microfinance banks.
He said, “Though the government cannot always do everything, I wish they could do more because there is a huge gap for them to fill in terms of easing the hardship Nigerians are going through. There is so much poverty in the land. The state is only a civil service state with little or no industries that can add to ist economic values and make it economically viable.
“What the governments should do to cater for the poor, the widows and the vulnerable persons is to place them on salary, like wages every month. Paying them monthly stipends will address some of their challenges. It doesn’t need to be huge. Let’s say everyone is given N10,000 monthly. It is what the state and the federal government can do,” he said.
