BY AYO ESAN
THE President of the Care People Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, Rev Tunde Tioluwani, has called on Governments at both the State and Federal levels to show love to the needy, especially orphans and the physically challenged persons, at this period of economic recession.
Tioluwani, who was speaking at the Annual National Carnival for the Disabled Persons and Less Privileged, held at the Care People Foundation Centre, Ibadan, said governments should go beyond mere promises and bring up impact-oriented programmes to cushion the adverse effects of poverty in the lives of Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable.
The carnival is an annual event by the Foundation to fete orphans and the less privileged in the society every Christmas period.
Tioluwani, who said this year’s edition was low key, because of the Coronavirus pandemic, also called on the well to do in the society to borrow a leaf from what the Care People Foundation was doing by assisting the less privileged people in the society.
Tioluwani, whose foundation had been bringing succour to orphans and the physically challenged in the society since 1990, said 2020 remained the worst year ever when one considered the Covid-19 pandemic, which had affected the economy of the nation.
He added, “As a result of all these, we decided to mark this year’s celebration in low key arrangements by not inviting thousands of people with disabilities as we used to do yearly.
“Rather, we invited their representatives to pick up their wheelchairs, sewing and grinding machines, bags of rice, cooked food and financial donations.”
Over 50 orphanages and Centres for people with disabilities were present at the carnival which featured music and dance, raffle draws and presentation of food, drinks and other gifts.
Among the gifts showered on the less privileged, especially the orphans and people with disabilities, were pepper grinding machines, sewing machines, wheel chairs, rice, noodles, as well as cash donations.
The presentation of the gift items was done by the Vice President of the Foundation, Barrister Favour Tioluwani.
Responding, one of the beneficiaries, Evangelist Olu Kayode, commended Rev. Tioluwani and his wife, Barrister Favour Tioluwani, for their philantrophic gesture, saying he had been part of their good gesture for many years.
