Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
About 1,500 residents of Lagos State will have access to one free meal per day to cushion the effect of the economic hardship in the country, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared.
Mr Sanwo-Olu, while answering questions from journalists during a media chat on Thursday, said his administration would establish at least 42 Sunday Markets across the metropolis for cheap food items, though the commencement of this initiative is yet to be revealed.
There has been a pocket of demonstrations across the country over the rising hunger in Nigeria as a result of high inflation and the devaluation of the Naira.
Last December, President Bola Tinubu was in Lagos for his short vacation to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
While his entourage was passing through a market area, traders were heard crying of hunger, calling on the President to make life easier for them.
Some days ago, protests erupted in Niger State over the rising cost of living. It later spread to Kano, Oyo State, Ogun State and Lagos State.
Worried that the growing anger could trigger another violent demonstration like in 2020, the Lagos Governor said his administration was working hard to ease the pains residents of the state were going through.
At the media chat held in Marina and monitored by Business Post, Mr Sanwo-Olu also announced a slash in the transport fare by 25 per cent in government-controlled buses.
In addition, he said personnel of the Lagos State Civil Service from levels 1-14 would now be required to be at their duty posts only three times a week, while free drugs would be provided for hypertension and diabetes patients. He also disclosed that there would be free child delivery in all the state’s general hospitals.
Mr Sanwo-Olu was grilled at the media chat by Mr Reuben Abati of Arise TV, Mr Babajide Kolade-Otitoju of TVC, Ms Sola Kosoko of LTV 8, and Mr Geoffrey Uzono of Channels TV.
