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Archbishop Urges FG To Use UN €50 Million Donation As Palliative Measures For The Masses

The General Overseer of the Resurrection Praise Ministries For Africa, Archbishop Samson Benjamin, on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to use the €50 million donation by the United Nations (UN) as palliative measures for the masses.

Benjamin made this statement at Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area when his ministry visited and shared food items worth thousands of naira to the needy in the community.

Over 200 people benefited from the items which included rice, beans, garri, condiments as well as Vitamin C to help boost their immune system.

Benjamin said this was to complement the efforts of the federal government in reaching out to the masses and distributing relief materials during the lockdown period.

He said that using part of the UN donations as palliative measures would go a long way in alleviating poverty and ensuring people obey the stay-at-home order during this period of crises in society.

“I hope that the €50 million which amounts to N21 billion donated by the UN on Tuesday will be used largely for palliative measures for the masses.

“This will enable them to obey the stay at home order and social distancing directive to prevent further spread of the disease,” his eminence said.

Benjamin who is also the President, African Economic Empowerment Initiative and Foundation for World Peace and Conflict Resolution said that his ministry decided to donate food items to the masses in order to encourage them to obey the stay-at-home directive by the federal government.

“We are giving out food items in order to complement government’s efforts and ensure that the public obey the social distancing and stay at home order.

“The reason for the two weeks extension which is the incubation period of the virus is so that the government can identify and remove those that have tested positive to the virus in the society.

“I urge people to abide and obey the stay at home order so that those who have been infected by the virus can be traced and removed from the society for treatment,” he said.

The archbishop appealed to all religious bodies including churches, mosques as well as well-meaning Nigerians to give back to the society at such a difficult time like this.

He said that preaching the gospel was not just about talking to people alone from the Holy Books but about also about demonstrating humanitarian works that could actually impress on people what your religion represents.

“That is exactly what we did today because the Bible says to love your neighbour as yourself and this is one of the activities of actually loving our neighbours as ourselves.

“We have gathered people from diverse ethnicity regardless their religion to benefit from these donations which will go a long way to evangelise the gospel which we stand for.

“People at Ijegun, Satellite Town, Ojo, Amuwo Odofin and Ajeromi Local Government Areas have benefited from it and we intend to keep it going until the lockdown is lifted.

“If the federal government extends the stay at home order again, we will also extend our kind gestures to meet the needs of the poor in the society,” he added.

Benjamin said that the only thing we could take advantage of in order to come out successful from this pandemic is to apply the preventive methods to reduce the spread of the virus.

He urged the public to adhere to social distancing and keeping good hygiene in order to stay safe and play down the negative effect of the virus.