RASHEED OLANREWAJU ZUBAIR
Inhabitants of Oko Agbon and other riverine communities in Lagos State were in a jubilant mood at the weekend as no fewer than 1,500 of them benefitted from the free medical outreach and distribution of food items by the Honourable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu.
The medical outreach was part of the minister’s itinerary during her visit to the riverine area of the state to flag off the verification of the Expanded National Social Register.
Aside from the medical outreach, some of the relief items distributed to residents of the communities included hundreds of bags of Rice and vegetable oil among other food items.
Dr.Edu, who personally conducted some of the medical tests and administered free drugs to patients at St. John Catholic Church, Oko Agbon area of Yaba Local Government area of Lagos State, said part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was to reduce poverty through addressing the different dimensions which includes cost and access to health care services especially in hard-to-reach communities.
The Honourable Minister, who toured the riverine communities by canoe maintained that improved healthcare would reduce the high level of multi-dimensional poverty in Nigeria starting from rural communities across the country. She hopes to partner with the Federal Ministry of Health on this.
“I call on the traditional rulers, community heads and women advocates to disseminate the message of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to all inhabitants of Oko Agbon community; I want every resident in this community to know that we are here to have them benefit from Mr.President’s commitment to reduce humanitarian crisis and end poverty. And we are starting this renewal of hope from your communities, “Dr. Edu said.
Speaking further, the Minister, amidst cheers from jubilant residents, stressed that “President Tinubu will continue to support all programs and activities planned towards improving the quality of lives and reducing humanitarian crises and poverty eradication in Nigeria”
In their remarks, the traditional chiefs of Oko Agbon, Wasiu Salako, and Daniel Hungbeji commended the federal government for remembering them and coming to visit them in the community. This was the first time any minister of the federal Republic will.come to these communities, he said.
The chiefs said the medical outreach and food items provided by the Minister will go a long way to addressing critical health issues in the area.
The community medical outreach includes free medical consultation, laboratory screening for diabetes and malaria, as well as blood pressure with free drugs and referral for those with more complicated cases. Dr Echeng Imoke was on ground to ensure smooth running of the health outreach for 2 days.