Indigenes of Osogbo in the United States of America have extended hands of fellowship to their people back home in the Osun State capital.
The indigenes under the aegis of Osogbo Progressive Union USA (OPUUSA) recently distributed rice palliative, to about 115 compounds to ameliorate the current economic hardship in the country.
Each of the 115 compounds was given two bags of rice and 230 bags distributed in total.
President of the union, Alhaji Kazeem Adetunji, described the gesture as a way of giving back to the society and helping the needy in the face of current economic hardship in Nigeria.
Adetunji stressed that beyond the rice palliative, other programmes, including annual scholarship and medical outreach, were lined up by the union to help Osogbo indigenes.
He said: “We are here today to distribute rice as a palliative to 115 compounds in Osogbo. Our goal as OPU members is to give back to the community and help the needy in this economic situation in Nigeria.
“We have done series of programmes, not just giving food items out only. We have annual scholarship and medical outreach programmes. This is just one of the programmes to ameliorate the sufferings of our people for now.
“The 115 compounds are selected based on the active members of the union. We use this opportunity to tell other associations and those in the diaspora to remember their people back home.
“The Nigeria government should also do everything possible to reduce the suffering of the people. The country is not smiling right now. The unemployment rate is high.”
Kazeem Adedotun, who spoke on behalf of Lasigun compound, thanked the Osogbo in the diaspora for coming to their aid at this critical moment.
“We appreciate this gesture from our people in the diaspora at this critical moment in Nigeria. We commend them and urge others abroad to always remember home, Adedotun said.
The representative of Olorisa Oko compound, Bashiru Opabola, prayed for members of the union, saying God will replenish their stock.
“We thank the Osogbo Progressive Union for this step. We pray for them to continue go stronger. May God replenish their pocket,” he said.
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