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By Kehinde Aderemi
In their efforts to give back to the society, Osogbo indigenes in the United States, under the aegis of the Osogbo Progressive Union, United States of America (OPUUSA) have distributed food items worth N20 million to their people back home.
Food items including rice and beans were distributed to over 130 compounds in Osogbo by the union.
Speaking at the event, National President of the OPUUSA, Alhaji Kazeem Adetunji, said the initiative is their way of giving back to the society by alleviating the suffering of the people back home.
According to him, the palliative programme began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has been sustained as an annual activity.
“Today, we are giving back to the community by distributing foodstuffs to the compounds of our active members. About 132 compounds are to receive bags of rice and beans (Oloyin).
“Selected compounds in Isale-Osun, Ita-Olokan, Oke-baale, Owo-ope, Orita elelede and others would benefit from the gesture.
“Last Saturday, we were at the Osun State University where we gave the sum of N150,000 each to about 57 students who were Osogbo indigenes.The scholarship has been our annual contribution since 2010.
“We also give start-up capital to empower over 30 indigenes.The empowerment programme was to engage them in their various artistry endeavours.The food items we are distributing today is worth the sum of N20 million.
We started the give back programme during the COVID -19 pandemic lock down,but we decided to continue the gesture annually up till today, even with the current economic downturn in the country.
Our members in the Diaspora are growing and we are now 132
“ We implore the government at all levels to improve the economic situation in the country.
“We cannot just leave them in this kind of economic struggle, that is why we gave our little back to our people. We want to let them know that we care for them and we share in their plights
We shouldn’t be in this situation if the government is doing what it is supposed to do.
Alhaji Kazeem Adetunji also assured that efforts are ongoing to give more support to the people of Osogbo and its environs.
“Apart from this, just last week,our New York chapter also distributed medical facilities to some clinics in Osogbo and other chapters are also doing a lot of other initiatives,” he added.
