Lockdown: RTEAN distributes 2,420 bags of rice and ‘garri’ to members, residents of Lagos

The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) on Tuesday distributed 1,730 bags of rice and 690 bags of ‘garri’ to its members and Lagos residents to cushion the effects of COVID-19 lockdown.

Alhaji Mohammed Musa, the State Chairman of RTEAN, said that the gesture was borne out of the passion to alleviate the sufferings of its members whose sources of income had been affected by the government-imposed lockdown.

According to him, the association purchased 1,500 bags of rice as palliatives while it also received 230 bags of rice and 690 bags of ‘garri’ from the state government as palliatives for its members.

Musa said that the union could not keep looking and watching while its members were suffering due to the lockdown, stressing that financial assistance of N10,000 had been provided for some members.

“The first batch of our palliatives was provided by the RTEAN executive to our members while the second batch was provided by the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and we thank God.

” You can see how our members are smiling after collecting the rice and ‘garri’. They are full of happiness. We thank the Federal and the state governments for supporting the members of the union.

“The hardship now is huge and I don’t need to tell anyone. Looking at our gate, more than 1,000 poor people are outside waiting for our help which we have been doing since last week,” the RTEAN boss said.

According to him, so many poor and vulnerable people have been trooping into the RTEAN secretariat since last weekend, seeking assistance in form of food and cash.

He said that the union, out of its magnanimity did not only consider its members in the palliatives but also extended the gesture to those considered poor members of its host community.

“The number of the poor people that come here everyday keeps increasing.

“We share the little we have and what the government gave us among our members and the masses.

“We have shown the same gesture at Egbeda, Ikorodu and other areas for the masses. We are not limiting it to bus conductors and drivers that are our members alone,” Musa said.

The RTEAN boss, who noted that government alone could not solve the problem of hunger among the masses, urged well-meaning Nigerians and the corporate bodies to assist the downtrodden.

“If other associations, companies and organisations can do what RTEAN is doing now at various levels, the suffering of the masses will reduce at this time of lockdown. This will go a long way.

“It is sad that a lot of people have millions and billions of naira but cannot assist the masses and that is what increases the hardship of the poor.

“Government only cannot do it. We have to join hands together and assist the government,” he said.

(NAN)