Amidst the hardships and suffering caused by the current economic challenges, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, recently launched the “Feed the Hungry” initiative committing over 1 billion naira monthly to provide food for the poor and vulnerable residents of the state.
Launching the initiative at the Benin Catholic Archdiocesan Chancery Building at St. Paul Catholic Church, Benin City, Obaseki met with Christian and Muslim leaders separately to kick off the program. Religious bodies across the state’s 18 local councils will manage the initiative.
According to the Governor, the government will commit over 1 billion naira monthly for the program’s pilot phase.
He stated, “It’s my pleasure to formally launch the ‘Feed the Hungry’ initiative in Edo State. We will conduct periodic reviews to assess the program’s progress and address any shortcomings.”
Obaseki explained, “As a government, we must find ways to respond and deal with the current situation. Instead of lamenting, we decided to meet with the Christian leaders to discuss how to address the challenges faced by our people and citizens. The government and Christian leaders met on February 10, 2024, to address these issues, and a committee established by the Christian body has been working to tackle this problem.”
Obaseki also met with the league of Imams in Edo State, led by Chief Imam of Benin Central Mosque, Alhaji Fatai Enabulele. He solicited their support in ensuring the initiative’s success.
He said, “We’ve met with the Christians and are here to meet with the Muslims. We’ve decided to work with you because the government can’t feed everyone, but it can set an example. We will provide funds for you to purchase food and distribute it to people in the Mosques when they come for prayers. We’ve planned accordingly; we won’t buy food in Benin and distribute it in Igarra. Instead, we’ll purchase it at the various locations where it will be distributed to the people.
“We are very concerned about the situation and will collaborate with you to feed our people. You will organize the people and the program to enable them to receive food assistance.”