Chinelo Obogo
Arik Air recently distributed palliatives to communities around Mafoluku and Orile Agege, Lagos, to help sustain the vulnerable from the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The areas covered were Ewu-Tuntun/Mafoluku around the Murtala Muhammed Airport and Arigbanla in Orile-Agege, in Lagos. At the Abolaji Osundeyi Community Development Area in Mafoluku, officials of the airline met with the community head and donated 200 bags of rice and 200 bags of beans.
The community chairman, Nathaniel Adebukola Oso said three communities would be beneficiaries to the Arik Air palliatives including his community Abolaji Osundeyi, Ewu as well as Olowo Kporoku CDA.
The CDA chairman thanked the airline for the gesture and promised the palliatives will get to the poorest of the poor as they have a list:
“We are very grateful for Arik Air’s generosity and pray that God will continue to grant them the best.
“It is a pity I don’t have my list with me but we do things accordingly in this community. We list names one by one, street by street and we give priority to widows, the aged and those that are not well to do.”
The Arik team headed next to Arigbanla community in Orile Agege where they met some officials of various CDAs who met the group with warm appreciations. The airline delivered another 200 bags of rice and 200 bags of beans to the community to the commendations of residents. The first Vice Chairman of Ifelodun CDA, Pastor Abe Kehinde, described the airline’s move as highly commendable and worthy of emulation:
“This is the first time we are receiving such in this community and we are grateful. I can boldly testify that it will be shared equally within our community. The gesture is great and we are grateful and wish other corporates would emulate Arik Air. On our part we will spread the word and ensure our people fly Arik.”
The Baale of Arigbanla, Igbomedu, Chief Oladele Mathew Falohun, said:
“We are grateful and happy for what Arik has done here for us. It is good for everyone at this crucial time and we will ensure that it gets to the people who need it most. It is not for sale it’s for the community.”
The Business Head, West and Central Africa, Sylvester Egogo on behalf of management of Arik commended the communities for their warm reception and said the airline has not failed in carrying out its social corporate responsibility: “We are here as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to communities where we operate.
“We are aware of the situation in the country. We know government can’t do everything so the management of Arik has decided to provide the palliatives to ameliorate some of their issues. It is our prayer that this blows over and things go back to normal.”