It was a moment of relief and gratitude on Tuesday as the lawmaker representing Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, distributed food items and cash support to thousands of constituents ahead of the Ramadan fasting period.
The large-scale welfare outreach, held within the federal constituency in Osun State, saw beneficiaries drawn from mosques, Islamic organisations, pensioners’ groups, student bodies, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups across the four local government areas.
Speaking at the event, the Senior Legislative Aide to the lawmaker, Mr. Akintayo Jimoh, said the initiative was aimed at easing the burden of fasting for Muslim faithful during the holy month.
“We are here to give food items to the constituents who elected Honourable Bamidele Salam. This is part of our Ramadan relief support,” Jimoh said. “You can see people from NASFAT, mosques, pensioners, student bodies and other Islamic organisations here to receive rice, garri, spaghetti, groundnut oil and tomato paste.”
He added that beyond the food distribution, the lawmaker also approved a cash donation of N5 million for vulnerable residents, including pensioners and persons living with disabilities.
“We also have a cash gift of five million naira for those in need, especially the vulnerable, to assist them during Ramadan,” he said.
Jimoh disclosed that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) recently supported victims of a rainstorm in the constituency following formal requests by the lawmaker.
“We wrote to NEMA concerning the rainstorm that occurred in our constituency. They responded by bringing relief materials from Abuja, which we have presented to affected victims. This is part of our continuous effort to ensure our people are not left alone in times of need,” he explained.
He urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of giving. “Whatever you can do to support people, especially with food, please do it. Food is very important. Even in our private capacity, we should help our neighbours.”
Also speaking, the Assistant Head of Operations, NEMA Ibadan Operations Office, Mr. Olarewaju Kazeem said the agency collaborated with the federal lawmaker to deliver relief materials to disaster victims.
“We are here to distribute relief items to people affected by the recent disaster in this federal constituency,” he said. “NEMA and federal representatives are all disaster managers. When a representative follows up properly, as Honourable Salam has done, it makes our work easier and ensures relief gets to the grassroot.”
Chairman of the Ede Muslim Council and head of the 2026 Ramadan Welfare Package Committee, Dr. Musbawudeen Olatunde Idris, revealed that over 10,000 people would benefit from the programme.
“We are distributing foodstuffs and cash to more than ten thousand people across Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo,” he said. “We covered about 120 mosques, pensioners, orphanage homes, FOMWAN, CORBAN and even students in tertiary institutions, including those in Ejigbo.”
He clarified that the initiative was not politically motivated. “This has nothing to do with election. He has been doing this for years. Feeding fasting Muslims will go a long way in helping them observe their religious rites properly.”
Dr. Idris urged Muslims to use the Ramadan period to promote unity and peace. “Allah commanded fasting to increase our piety. Muslims should promote unity and peace, not only in these four local governments but across Nigeria.”
The Secretary of the Ramadan Welfare Package Committee, Umar Salman Adeyemi, described the gesture as timely amid economic challenges.
“This initiative will support over ten thousand households. At a time of economic downturn, this kind of intervention is highly commendable,” he said. “There is no small act of kindness. Leaders, philanthropists and corporate organisations should do whatever they can to support the people.”
Beneficiaries also expressed appreciation. A pensioner from Ejigbo Local Government, Mr. Alaode Emmanuel Oyeniyi, commended the lawmaker for his consistent outreach.
“What he has done for us, especially we pensioners, we cannot forget. Apart from food, he has organised medical outreach for us in the past. We truly appreciate him,” he said.
Mrs. Ishola Omotola Elizabeth, Special Liaison to the lawmaker on disability matters, praised the inclusiveness of the programme.
“He always captures persons with disabilities in his programmes. Apart from food items, we also received cash support. He practices inclusive representation, and we are grateful,” she said, urging other representatives to emulate such gestures.
The event featured a transparent distribution process overseen by religious leaders, community representatives and committee members to ensure fairness across the four local government areas.
As Ramadan approaches, beneficiaries said the support would significantly ease the burden of fasting for thousands of families across the constituency.
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