Mariam Akinloye
The Senator representing the Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, FCA, has continued his COVID-19 Financial Support Scheme which was designed to cushion the effects of the global pandemic on vulnerable people.
The scheme, which was earlier planned to terminate in December 2021, according to the former Banker turned politician, has been sustained as the adverse economic effects are yet to fully abated.
In a statement signed and released Wednesday by Mr Enitan Olukotun, the Special Adviser to the Senator on Media & Publicity, the Senator is also said to be concerned by the additional hardship inflicted on the people the current fuel scarcity.
“Senator Abiru said his concern for the plight of the poor during the current fuel scarcity and the record food inflation necessitated the continuation of the financial support to ease the hardship of the vulnerable at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid”, the statement said.
“Today, the batch B beneficiaries in the 2500 pool of vulnerable constituents drawn across 98 wards in the 16 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas received direct credits in their respective bank accounts.
“For fourteen (14) consecutive months, people with physical disabilities, widows, aged, unemployed youths and women have been receiving support from Senator Abiru on a monthly basis. The scheme has been on since January 2021″.
The statement also stated that the performing Senator has established innovative hub to empower youths in digital and innovative skills, adding that over 4000 already registered with 150 currently undergoing pilot scheme.
“For the records, the Senator recently established an Innovation Hub in the Lagos East Dstrict, known as the Senator Abiru Innovation Lab (SAIL), in partnership with a renowned Technology and Social Enterprise company, The Co-creation Hub (Cc-HUB), to train youths in the senatorial district on relevant digital and innovation skills, and build the best entrepreneurs that can compete in the ever-dynamic global economy”, the statement further said.
“Over Four Thousand (4,000) young people across the Lagos East Senatorial District applied for the SAIL programmes. Currently, over One Hundred Fifty (150) students are participating in the Five (5) Pilot Programmes at the SAIL Centre in Ikorodu while over One Thousand (1000) eligible applicants will be trained online”.