The Phone and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (PAPDAN) has given palliatives worth N1.6 million to about 100 households in Lagos.
The President of PAPDAN, Mr Ifeanyi Akubue, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday.
He said that the palliative were in cash for some and foodstuffs for others.
Akubue said that the palliatives were to cushion the effects of the lockdown on some of their members who were at the lower cadre, basically surviving on daily income.
According to him, for the spread of the coronavirus to be curbed, the lockdown has to be effective, which can be possible with people’s basic needs sorted.
”Some of the members who were better off also assisted in helping those who were making their incomes on daily basis.
”We have yet to satisfy all members of PAPDAN in need because some of them are still crying out.
”About 75 of our members got cash transfers, while the others got food items because these are people with children to feed.
”It is painful now but there is nothing much we can do,” Akubue said.
The PAPDAN boss, however, said that government had to come in by urging banks to open for at least two or three hours a day so that people would have access to financial transactions.
He said that there were some accounts opened basically for banking transactions and not online, thus making it difficult to have access to funds.
The Federal Government had on March 29 declared a lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and Abuja for 14 days, effective from March 30.
Government extended the lockdown for another 14 days from April 14 to curb the spread of the virus.
