Some Nigerian Women in the United Kingdom (UK) on Sunday donated food items to some less privileged people in Lagos state as part of effort to cushion the effect of the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The women made the donation under the auspices of Elite Golden Ladies, U.K. and Ireland and distributed them through Bishop Augustine Okereke at the Word and Praise Missionary Church headquarters in Lagos.
Spokesperson of the group, Ms Asa Blessing-Chijiekwu, in a statement issued in Abuja, said the President of the organisation, Mrs Nkechi Okezuruonye, was touched by the plight of poor widows and less privileged people during the lockdown.
“We chose Lagos because of its large population and considering the risk factor associated with densely populated areas; Lagos has intimidating population more than any other part of West Africa.
“This explains why the state has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases going by the record of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and World Health Organisation (W.H.O), and the number keeps rising.
“When you consider the effect of the lockdown in Lagos, being the economic nerve centre of Nigeria/Africa, you will understand the level of hunger and hardship that will hit the poor people if they can’t get help.
“This is why we sent relief materials and food items all the way from UK to reduce the effects of hunger in the land and encourage the people to hold on till this storm is over.
“What we are doing now in Lagos will determine our next move within and outside Lagos taking into consideration the costs of logistics and data of COVID-19 confirmed cases in other states as the cases may be,” Okezuruonye was quoted as saying.
She further explained that the donation was through fund raising, and financial contributions of members who are willing to reduce the hardship of Nigerians.
Okereke said the food items would impact positively on the lives of the beneficiary whose means of daily income had been affected by the lockdown directive.
“We have a list of poor widows and the less privileged in our locality and they were informed about the donation from the Elite Ladies in UK; I know they will continue to remember the association in their prayers.
“When God is allowed to take the centre stage of any organisation, failure will never be found in their vocabulary of language and expression.”
The beneficiaries collected food items including rice, noodles, vegetable oil and tomato paste.
Elite Golden Ladies, a non-religious organisation, had previously supported less privileged people at Hopeville Rehabilitation Centre in Uturu, Abia State and diabetic patients at the Ukpor General Hospital in Anambra among others. (NAN)
