Society Gists

In a bid to reduce hunger in the ongoing lockdown declared by the Federal and Ogun State Governments to contain the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 Pandemic, a prominent Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in the state, Ota Gravity Foundation (OGF) has distributed relief materials to over 300 aged and vulnerable indigenes as well as residents of Ota area of the state.

A  committee set up by the Coordinator of the Foundation, Aare Dele Bankole to ensure that the packages reach the core targets included some members of the Board of Trustees of Ota Gravity Foundation; Chief Ganiyu  Dada, Oluwo Itoki of Ota Kingdom, and Mr Tayo Idowu, a telecom guru and businessman.

Other members included a former member of the Ogun State House of Assembly and currently a member of the Ogun State Judicial Council, Hon Nurudeen Aina Akinpelu, who doubles as the Publicity Secretary of OGF and the General Secretary of the Foundation and SSA to the Governor Ogun of State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Hon. Kola Salako.

Relief materials distributed to the appreciative beneficiaries included rice, beans ‘garri’ and vegetable oil.

Speaking with journalists on behalf of the Coordinator of OGF, Aare Dele Bankole, a member of the Foundation, who is also the Oluwo Itoki of Ota, High Chief Ganiu Dada said that the need to reduce hunger, especially among the aged and vulnerable residents of the area, necessitated the group’s initiative.

He said, “Ota Gravity Foundation, which comprises Ota indigenes both at home and in the Diaspora felt the pains and agony of our people in this lockdown period. People are hungry at home and outside is not safe.

“There is need for them to keep staying indoor to help the government in fighting the deadly virus. At the same time, they have to feed. Hunger is not good for the body, this is the reason we pulled resources together to cater for our people.”

High Chief Dada then challenged philanthropists and influential people in the society to step in and assist the people at this time, saying that their wealth is meaningless if they refuse to attend to the needs of the people during this period.

He urged the people to persevere, adding that the government was doing its best to ensure that the pandemic is driven from the state and Nigeria at large, while also urging them to keep to social distancing, use face masks and sanitize their hands at all times.

Other members of the Foundation, who teamed up to execute the initiative included an immediate past member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Aina Akinpelu, Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Hon. Kola Rahmon Salako, Iyalaje of Ota, Chief Mrs Abina, Mr. Wale Adegbite among several others.

As a follow-up, OGF has given out contracts to local and indigenous producers for the production of thousands of facemasks as part of her empowerment programmes to support Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

The facemasks will be distributed free of charge to members of the public during the week.

It will be recalled that Ota Gravity Foundation, which was officially formed in January, 2020 gifted 25 UTME forms to students, donated some amount of money towards the construction of Chief Imam’s house in Ota among other humanitarian gestures.

When the idea of forming a foundation of prominent sons and daughters of Ota land came up, three musketeers comprising Aare Dele Bankole, Dr. Lateef Ahmed and Mr. Kunle Somorin never knew they were setting up a new agenda & movement for the socio-economic and infrastructural development of a city that helped them to get to where they are today.

The foundation has now transformed to an NGO, and a non-political movement principally to assist the needy, the less privileged in Aworiland,  particularly in Ota.