Covid-19: CVL, others provide succour to the vulnerable in 3 Lagos communities

Recipient of foodstuff (l); Prof Pat Utomi, founder CVL (m); Representative of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), The Calvary Branch, Oshodi, and Francisca Ukabiala.

The Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) alongside the Art of Living Foundation and others, in a coalition of Civil Society Organisations, recently took audacious steps in providing succour to the vulnerable in society threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic. The initiative, as deaths and infections rise significantly, is aimed at strengthening preventive measures.

A statement by Francisca Ukabiala, director, Corporate Services, CVL, stated that the programme included relief packages as part of the Human Solidarity Networks –Neighbours Caring for Neighbours – project.

According to Ukabiala, the essence was mainly to create, through activities of compassion, opportunity for education of individuals on safety measures to mitigate the spread of the pandemic.

“The talks accompanying the activities also dealt with the issue of correcting misinformation around the pandemic, with most pleading the point that Covid-19 was real and that the pointers were towards a spike in the coming weeks,” the release said.

In his address at Iwaya, near Yaba to recipients from Makoko and Iwaya, Prof. Patrick Utomi, founder of CVL, at that first point of call, educated the 300 vulnerable beneficiaries on the importance of observing the established guidelines and protocols for safety measure concerning the Covid-19 pandemic. Pointing out that it is critical in the fight to defeat the pandemic. He opined that government requires all the support from all and sundry because all citizens’ lives and wellbeing were under threat from the pandemic. He also indicated that part of the reason CVL was very active in distributing food stuff, even as a leadership development organisation, was to teach young leaders of the importance of compassion, as leadership is about care for others and not self-love.

“In a related development, at the Oshodi community, later in the afternoon, where about 150 vulnerable families benefitted, Utomi reiterated that leadership is the act of compassionately and sacrificially giving of oneself in the service of others. Therefore, the need for serving vulnerable people in helping them imbibe instruction on safety measures government has put in place to check spread of the raging pandemic was in the interest of the people.