COVID-19: Assist Osun financially – Monarch Begs FG
A traditional ruler in Osun state has pleaded with the Federal Government to assist the state government financially in its bid to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The Olowu of Kuta, Oba Adekunle Oyelude Makama, Tegbosun Il who made the clarion call at a press briefing at Kuta during the flag-off of Olori Fatima Adeola makama Oyelude 2nd Community Empowerment Initiatives begged the Federal Government to either wave the debts of the state or support it with fund so as to be on sound footing in the post COVID-19 experience.
At the initiative which targeted distribution of relief materials to vulnerable indigenes and residents of the ancient town this year, Oba Makama noted that the fact that residents of the state had not trooped out to demand for financial assistance did not mean they were not suffering.
While lauding President Muhammadu Buhari and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 for being proactive to curtail the spread of the dreaded virus, the monarch reinstated the need for the Federal government to grant debts relief to struggling states like Osun.
Olowu said Osun was not financially buoyant before the COVID-19 and that the financial challenges of the state has further put more pressure on the lean resources of the State.
The monarch announced that the 2nd edition of his wife’s annual empowerment programme was carried out to support the government.
He explained that vulnerable people such as widows, orphans and the less privileged in Owu Kuta were given foodstuffs and various sum of cash to augment their feeding.
Oba Makama said his palace had also given about a thousand bottles of hand sanitizers to security agencies in the state and tertiary institutions. He said both the hand sanitizers and foodstuffs distributed to his vulnerable subjects were valued N10million.
