The former Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, and also an APC governorship aspirant in Ondo State Olayide Adelami shared his disappointments over the state government’s lack of measures in place to help with the equitable distribution of resources to the people to reduce the blow of the toll the pandemic disease will take on the citizens.
The governorship aspirant urged the Ondo State government to make an action plan to help especially the vulnerable ones through this time. The shutdown has affected the daily income of the people and means of income from any other place as people are mandated to stay behind closed doors. He stated that a food bank should be created and palliatives shared out to the people during this period.
The government should use an agency to gather the data of the people as it would help in sharing the palliatives. According to him, if these measures are not put in place, there would be an increase rate of starvation and depression among the people. The informal sector should not be abandoned to suffer during this shutdown.
This informal sector includes those in commercial and agricultural activities. Those who sell daily in the market to keep the body and family together.
While civil servants and those working for private sectors have hope to receive their salary, the same can’t be said about those in the informal sector.
Olayide Adelami also admonishes the government of Ondo state to start putting in place plans for the economy for when the pandemic disease is over. As forecasted by global economists, there will be an economic meltdown of the economy.
According to him, states can no longer rely on funds coming from the federal territory, they need to start diversifying. When the pandemic is over, there are high chances of a shortage in the funds received by states from Abuja as the economy of the world would be hit by the effect of the pandemic disease. Therefore, Ondo needs to start thinking of ways to help itself.
He commended the Federal government and Lagos State government for the efforts towards the fight of this pandemic disease in the country.
He also urged everyone to continue to adhere to directives put in place by the government and also practice safe hygiene.