Obaseki targets 600,000 families for food support programme

The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has flagged off the first phase of the N1 billion monthly food support programme targeting 60,000 Christian families in the state.

Speaking during the programme in Benin at the weekend, Governor Obaseki said the programme is for Christians in the seven local government areas in Edo South Senatorial District and similar exercise for Christians would also take place in Edo North and Edo Central.

He said he was worried by the rising number of people who can’t afford a meal in a day in the state hence he decided to use the Church to feed the vulnerable with N1bn every month.

“I then called the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and some of the blockheads of CAN to a meeting and explained to them what I intended to do. That’s how we put our heads together to come up with this programme,” he said.

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He said the programme was not just to feed the vulnerable, but also to gather more data about people in the state to see how government can create employment for them as well as render help where necessary.

Earlier, CAN Chairman Apostle Irekpono Omoike, said 60,000 10kg bags of rice have been purchased for onward distribution to the vulnerable Christians in the three senatorial districts in the state.