Peter Anosike
Balogun Business Association (BBA), Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, Badagry Expressway, Lagos, has distributed foodstuff to its members to cushion the adverse effects of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) ravaging the world. The items included rice, noodles and tomatoes.
President of the association, Tony Obih, stated that the lockdown brought suffering to members, especially those who earned their living on a daily basis in the market.
He said, “It is because of this that the leadership of the association decided to provide relief materials to cushion the impact of the lockdown on their members.
“Though everybody is affected in one way or another by the lockdown, we decided to pick those who are at the lowest end of the ladder for the palliatives.
“We are aware that a hungry man can go to any length to satisfy his hunger. The food items are meant to keep the recipients at home, instead of going out and breaking the lockdown order or even becoming infected with coronavirus.
“Balogun Business Association is like a family and that they are meant to be their brother’s and sister’s keeper.
“The world at the moment has one common enemy, which is coronavirus. We are no longer blacks, whites, Christians or Muslims, we are human beings fighting a common scourge. We know that a lot of our members are hungry because our businesses have been under lockdown for more than one month now and people are suffering.
“We decided to bring succour to them in order to alleviate their suffering. It is our desire that they stay at home instead of going about or doing other illegal things. What we are doing today is in line with the directive of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu that we all should join hands to ameliorate the suffering in the land.
“It is very clear that government cannot fight the challenge alone; we have to help government to contain the spread of this virus by following the rules and also putting smiles on the faces of the suffering masses.
“We are not in a hurry to open the market because they have to be alive to do business. Even if I am told to stay at home for one year to be alive, I am ready to do so.
“Those who are worrying government to remove the lockdown should know that life is far more important than any other thing.”
He said he had advised his members that they should secure their lives first before they could secure their businesses.
The treasurer, John Ezeako, said they have been observing the lockdown to the fullest: “Since the beginning of the lockdown, apart from the security personnel and night guards, no other individual is allowed into the international shopping mall.
“The reason some members of the association came to the market was because of the coronavirus relief materials the executives came to give to the less privileged.
“We know that many of our members earn their living on a daily basis .They feed from what they get on a daily basis. That is why, we the executives decided to do something for them.
“My advice is, just as I was telling them here, if you take your own relief material, go back to your house. Don’t stop anywhere, wash your hands and follow the directive given by the government and go home to your house and stay with your family. So that you will not contact what is not destined for you.
“I am using this opportunity to advise other market executives to emulate what Balogun Business Association has done today. They should try to do such for their members.
“The government of Sanwo-Olu is doing well. It should try to do everything humanly possible to get us protection and to enforce compliance so that we can be free from this dangerous pandemic.”