By Mary oso Omotoso
During the major lockdown in Ekiti State , Mr.
Governor, knowing the importance of communications and the need for citizens engagement in a strange and scary period like that , instructed that a platform be created on all radio stations in the state where government representatives would constantly sensitize the people on COVID -19 , allay their fears by updating them on government’s efforts at curtailing the spread , monitor the distribution of government palliatives and so on .
Chief Niyi Ojo ,SSA Public Affairs and I were assigned for this engagement. So , we were always on the radio . One of the radio stations had a special program where food items ,mostly rice, donated by well - meaning individuals were shared to the less privileged. This is aside government’s palliatives donated to all radio stations for distribution.
The daily food sharing made that particular radio station become a Mecca of sort because beneficiaries kept inviting other members of their family and so the station had no choice than to reduce the quantity of the food so it could go round . However, those who were lucky to benefit from government’s food packs donated to the station appeared like Kings and queens because each pack contained different food items enough to feed a family for a week and there was a general instruction by the state government not to unseal the food packs (palliatives)before or in the process of giving them out .
On one of our engagements at this station the presenter jokingly shared with us the mild drama that happened when an elderly woman came all the way from Iworoko Ekiti for food. He said she was given the usual food the station gives out but the woman vehemently rejected and insisted on being given ‘Fayemi’s food’ (government palliatives) . Hearing ‘Fayemi’s food ‘ they knew what she meant but unfortunately they already shared all palliatives given to them . The more they tried to explain to her the more drama she was willing to create within the premises as she kept on screaming ‘e fun mi ni ounje ti Fayemi’ (give me Fayemi’s food packs’). It took them hours of persuasion before she finally left reluctantly . Those around felt she must be a covetous person to have insisted on what to gift her .
I asked the presenter if he took her phone number or address he said no but that she promised to come back . “Alright then” , I said .
After our radio engagement that day , I happened to be in a meeting called by Her Excellency ,Erelu Bisi Fayemi . At the end of the meeting, Her Excellency asked us how the distribution of palliatives was going . She kept saying we must ensure the palliatives get to the vulnerable and must not be unsealed. It was the talk about palliatives that prompted aunty Sola ,the then SA Communications & Strategy ,whom I had already gisted about mama from the radio station ,to gist Her Excellency too; just for laughs.
Upon hearing the gist ,Erelu didn’t see a covetous woman as some had called her . She didn’t see a woman who had come all the way from Iworoko Ekiti just to put up a funny drama in Ado Ekiti . Erelu saw a woman in need of help and instantly told me to look for her . She said “we will give her two packs of palliatives and some cash “. Unfortunately I was told the woman didn’t come back to the station as she had promised . The presenter and I tried our best to get her number or locate her but we couldn’t. I was pained .
You see , Erelu could have heard the gist and laughed over it without attempting to help the woman but she didn’t. This tells you she sees and thinks humanity first because that is WHO SHE IS and NOT what her status has made her to be . I am aware of some family’s responsibilities she shouldered when she and her husband were out of government. In fact, the pastor who ministered at the Ekiti Women Praise program we held during campaign, became very emotional when he shared how Erelu , despite not being in government,went all out to support some orphans in his care .
She is not kind and generous because she is a politician or Governor’s wife . Haven’t we had Governor’s wives in this state before? Don’t we have Governors’ wives in other states? Mind you , you all don’t even get to hear or read about half of Erelu’s interventions. Trust me , if we begin to publicize everything she does , the social and traditional media will be overwhelmed .
This is not me speaking as government appointee , this is me speaking as one of the beneficiaries of her act of kindness and one ,who knows quite a number of people who have benefited .
Meanwhile, act of kindness maybe alien to some people either because they were deprived at childhood or they are evil minded themselves.
The quote below should help them:
“Kindness is the ability to know what the right thing to do is and having the courage to do it”
