How Sanwo-Olu set agenda for another 14 days COVID-19 lockdown

Proposes disbursement of cash, daily free meal for youths, PDP, other opposition parties to get palliatives assistance

By Toyo C. Ngem

Following the imperatives of another phase of 14days economic lockdown being implemented as sit-at-home order by the President Muhammodu Buhari, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu aptly set out another phase of stimulus schemes that were broadly embraced as all encompassing, all-inclusive and of a new dimension.
At the first of his conventional update press conference on COVID-19 pandemic to follow the Presidential broadcast of the order held on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, he revealed that cash disbursement to indigent and vulnerable residents would be part of the palliatives measures his government would be putting in place cushion the trailing hardships.
    Listing other palliative measures, he said his government would introduce what he called “Lagos Kitchen” meant to implement a daily free feeding of the locals. This, according to him, would help to capture the youth class in the stimulus scheme.
He said: “I want to announce to you today the additional palliatives for our citizens which we hope will further ameliorate the hardships occasioned by this extended lockdown.
    “We are working with our local leaders for a review of our social register to get a clean list of vulnerable and economically challenged people to enable us remit cash to them. And in the first instance we are remitting cash to about 250, 000 indigenes once the data is set up.
    “Also in the next subsequent editions (of the stimulus packages), we will commence what we call a social safety programme. There will be an attempt where on a daily basis we will be feeding about 100,000 youths. This, we believe, will mitigate some of the challenges we see on our streets. We are currently identifying local food vendors who will help in the process of cooking and serving the foods to help us meet the objectives”.

    Fielding questions from the press on this community feeding programme, the Governor explained further: “We want to throw back the food to the community by engaging the regular food vendors as we have them in the communities’ street corners to see that they cook and people eat. The strategy is that we know them in the various communities and we protect them. We are not importing anybody into any community and we will be seeing rush, No! It is community based and these food vendors that are in their localities, we will give all that they require and all the supports they need to be able to do their works. So, we are going to make it as clear as possible.
    The term of feeding is universal: the same time, the same quantity and all of that. Even as we speak here, the state officials are on the field to start the relationship as soon as possible”.
The Governor also said that his government planned to reach out to more beneficiaries through identified social, political and religious organisations.
    He said: “Because we have been able to meet the 200,000 households as we set and we still have in procurement and warehouse a whole lot of foods, where we are now going is to identify various stakeholders. These are big stakeholders that we now want to give these palliatives to in large quantities… We are now going wholesale! We will be sending to religious bodies; we will be sending to tertiary institutions – whether state or federal; we will be sending to all of our ethnic groups; we will be sending goods to our riverine areas; to all the artisans…
    “We will also be sending to all other political parties in Lagos. We will be sending to women and health organizations; market women and men…”
    To explain why his government was adopting this organised social institution, he gave an overview of the impact of the first stimulus package tagged COVID-19 Emergency Foods Response, which he adjudged to be fraught with irregularities delivery to the target beneficiaries.

    He said: “I announced a stimulus package for the vulnerable segment of our society… I wish to say that as at today, we have reached 200,000 households which include the vulnerable, the physically challenged and the elderly.
    “Also during this time, we are also able to reach a large number of people in the organised sectors – the junior members of the military and police force in Lagos State as well as the minimum wage earners in the public service sector”.
    Acknowledging the defects in the initial methodology adopted in the distribution of the first phase of the stimulus packages, he condemned the attitude of some Community Development Association (CDAs) that deliberately made mischief out of the honourable roles given to them to help identify the vulnerable people in their localities.
He explained this to be the guidance to how they were going about implementation of this phase two palliatives.
    He explained: “We are using various modules to distribute the stimulus packages. Remember that in the first phase where we saw some backlash: when we said to the CDA that we give you ten bags, take them to the vulnerable people in your communities; but you now see a CDA ringing bell to say ‘People come and see oh, we are given ten bags for 500 of us that are in the community’.
    “That was not the instruction given to them. The whole idea is not to feed everybody in the CDA. We know that there are vulnerable people there; we know that there are elderly people there. These are the ones we sent them to give.
    “So we are taking our destinies into our hands by using our own strategy. That’s why in our second phase, our people are going round to them (The target beneficiaries) directly”.
    He also fielded questions from the press, requesting him to further clarify on assurances of the safety quality of the food grains and the feasibilities that the implementation of the new phase of palliatives will go far enough, particularly how it could be helpful to curb the emerging signs of youth unrests.
    He said: “As for safety quality of the grains, we are doing test to see that they are all in good conditions. These are the parts of plans we have highlighted. All these stakeholders I have mentioned have membership in tens of thousands. We just want to reach out to them because they have their own data base. With that, we will be able to push out in large numbers to various citizens that are in need”
He rolled out other stimulus packages to include debt relief for SMEs and traffic offenders.
    He went further: “I just gave orders to Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) to release free of charge, all vehicles arrested for minor offences from March 1st year 2020 to date. This directive will take effect immediately after the lockdown.
“Let me reiterate that this directive is for those vehicles that have been impounded for minor offences from 1st of March to date (April 14). So, don’t say because of this directive, tomorrow or next tomorrow they now seize your vehicle and you want to say you want it released free of charge. No, you are not covered by these exceptions.
    “The exception stimulus applies only to those vehicles arrested from 1st of March to date and immediately after the lockdown, they will not be charged any fees and their vehicles will be released to them.
    “I also want to announce that all our Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who had taken loans from our Lagos State Employment Trust Funds (LSTEF) and other economic programmes, they are going to enjoy a three months safety moratorium. Each of them will not be charged any interest rate for these months that have been granted moratorium. This is to assure them that the government is with them at this difficult time and there is nothing for them to worry about”.
    Talking on the emerging security threats posed by the cult groups purported to be advancing southwards from the neighbouring Ogun State, terrorising vulnerable communities on their way, the governor said the day’s COVID-19 briefing was in part an outcome of the State’s Security Council Meeting from which he and other heads of the State security agents had just emerged and that the issue was part of the agenda.
   VHe also frowned at the ubiquitous grouping of youths as resident vigilantes in some parts of the state, which he said had been hijacked by “opportunistic criminals”.
Concluding his briefing, Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed gratitude to all essential stakeholders, promising that his administration would always set his priorities right.
    “Let me also use this opportunity to express our gratitude to our health workers, who have been in the frontlines against this battle with the unseen enemies. We will continue to set our priorities in order to protect all of us and engage in things that will help to end this pandemic as soon as possible.
“I think it is also important for us to also express our gratitude to faith based sectors, the organised private sectors who have worked with us in this journey. We have a very worthy partner all of you. We appreciate that you know government cannot do it alone. We are grateful for the opportunity you gave to partner with us in this important and magnifying journey.
    “I also want to thank President Muhammodu Buhari and the Vice President, Professor Osinbajo.