_By Violet Osatohanmwen Obamwonyi_
The Edo State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said that 50,000 families across the 18 local government areas of the state have benefited from the first phase of the Governor Godwin Obaseki Feeding Program, an initiative launched by the state government in March 2024.
The assertion was made during a report presentation to the Governor, at the State Government House, in Benin City. Receiving the report, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, appreciated CAN for upholding accountability, transparency, and equity in distributing the food items to the vulnerable citizens in the state.
Obaseki said: “I welcome you to my office and thank you for taking time to brief me on the Christian feeding program, even though I was not expecting the report until the program was finished. I am not surprised because one of the cardinal values you share is transparency and accountability. I want to thank you for the sacrifice, time and the effort.
“I could see that it was successful because I witnessed how you procured and that was why I did not wait but went ahead to give money for the second phase. I am grateful to you because you trusted us. So, it was easy for the trust to be reciprocated. I just thank God that He gave us the idea to approach you because I don’t see how we could have done it ourselves.”
Obaseki remarked that people are going through difficult times and need more support from both the church and the government. He emphasized the need for data collection, especially on the vulnerable members of society, to ensure their needs are properly captured and met.
“Things are tough and difficult, they are not getting better. Living in Nigeria today, seeing what people are going through, when you think of any initiative to assist, those put in charge would prefer to just go ahead and grab the assistance first.
“We really appreciate what you have done, but there is a bit more work to be done because things are not getting better out there. Now that you have a bit more experience, we need to step up things, see how we can shorten the time. By the time we are doing the third phase, we should have more data, so that next time, we can also look beyond feeding.
“From the lesson in the pilot phase, we want to see how we can obtain more data. These people who are the poorest of the poor, we need to emerge with strategies on how else we can reach them with other initiatives and put them into a safety care. We can also look at what other program we have, what other programs you are initiating and see how we can support these programs; this is just one of the first steps, and I think as we go to the next phase, we should get their data.”
Giving a presentation on behalf of the committee, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Edo State chapter, Apostle (Dr.) Irekpono Omoike, disclosed that the sum of one billion naira was released by the state government to midwife the pilot stage of the feeding program.
Omoike noted: “His Excellency released the sum of one billion naira for the pilot stage of the program. We gathered data, then collated data from our churches, identifying their locations, pastors, and street addresses, and pinpointed those in areas with a high poverty index based on government data. We engaged rice vendors according to your specifications on the quality of rice, and the supply was swiftly carried out with the warehouse located in the three senatorial districts.
“We are here today to submit the comprehensive report with photographic and documentary evidence of what we did in all the local government areas of the state. The event covered the 18 local government areas of Edo State and it affected the communities where the poverty index was high, using the churches located in those areas.”
He continued: “We are glad that the first phase was successful and it went on as planned. As outlined in the initial proposal which we also have attached to this report, 90% of the allocation went to the churches affiliated to CAN, but additionally, 10% was also allocated to other churches, so as to broaden the coverage.
“We also reached-out to the people with special needs, the widows and the orphanages, they were all covered. This extended the coverage to a total of 107 churches, including the other organizations. We reach out to about 270 communities through the local churches, thereby benefiting 50,000 families of vulnerable citizens across Edo State.”
Expressing his appreciation to the Governor for pioneering the ‘Feed the Hungry’ initiative, the CAN Chairman stated that the success of the program was due to the Governor’s dedication and unwavering commitment.
“The dedicated efforts of the community members ensured a seamless execution of the program. The successful execution of this feeding program underscored the commitment the state government has for the program. We would not have been able to do anything but for your commitment.
“We have reassured ourselves that even now that you have given us one billion naira for the second phase, we are assuring you that we will not disappoint. With the experience we have from the first phase, we are in a better position to execute the next phase more effectively, efficiently and with equity, so that the people of Edo State would rejoice.”
Speaking on the timeliness of the program as well as responding to critics, Omoike said: “This feeding program is not a one-off thing; it is part of a comprehensive program that the Obaseki administration is doing through-out the state and we are pleased to part of it. The state government’s determination to alleviate the sufferings imposed on the people by the harsh economy led to a program like this. Edo State was the first to approve free bus ride for all residents of the state. It is currently paying the highest minimum wage in the county.
“We are proud to be associated with the success that you have brought to Edo State. We want to assure you that with determination, we would ensure that the next phase of the program is even more successful than the first phase.”
