Adeleke Calls For Collaborative Efforts To Tackle Hardship •As Fidelity Bank Distributes Raw Food To Vulnerable People
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has lauded Fidelity Bank for its Food Bank initiative, noting that individuals, groups, and corporate bodies needed to assist the government in tackling the current economic challenges.
Adeleke stated this on Tuesday at the distribution of raw food by Fidelity Bank in collaboration with the Esther Adeleke Humanitarian Foundation to 2000 vulnerable people in Osun State held at the state Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro.
Represented by the Secretary to the state government, Chief Teslim Igbalaye, the Governor said the initiative reflects the core values of service, empathy, and fidelity to humanity.
He said, "This maiden edition of the Fidelity Food Bank is both timely and symbolic. We live in a time when economic challenges have stretched many families to their limits, leaving several members of our society without access to basic needs such as food. Food insecurity is not just a personal crisis for those affected, it is a societal issue that demands collective action.
"Today, this initiative reflects the core values of service, empathy, and fidelity to humanity, values that this administration holds dearly. As a Government, we are deeply committed to implementing policies and programs that alleviate poverty and provide opportunities for every citizen to thrive.
"It is pertinent to state, however, that Government’s efforts alone cannot achieve the desired results. The active participation of individuals, foundations, and private organizations remains very critical. That is why initiatives like the Fidelity Food Bank serve as a perfect example of how partnerships between the Government and private entities can transform lives.
"Through this program, countless families in Osun State will experience relief and support. Beyond distributing food, this initiative is sending a message of hope that no one in our society is forgotten or left behind."
Speaking on behalf of the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, the Regional Bank Head, Southwest II, Morenike Olabisi, said the Fidelity Food Bank was to give to the needy and ensure that the bank impacts people that live around where the bank conducts its businesses.
Mrs Olabisi stated that the initiative has been implemented across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, adding that the bank will not relent in giving back to the societies.
According to her, "This is Fidelity Food Bank and it was an initiative of our Managing Director. It was founded in April 2023 and it's basically to give to the needy and ensure that where we do business, we also impact the people that live around us.
"We've done this in a lot of states across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. We've done it in the North; we visited the IDP camps where we distributed over 100 thousand of these food packs to vulnerable Nigerians. We believe in putting food on the table of the needy in order to make them happy.
"This is not the first time we are doing this in Osun State. We were here last year where we distributed 1,500 food packs. Today, we are distributing 2,000 packs of raw foods to the needy here in Osun. I want to assure you that we will always be back as we go across the states of the federation".
The wife of the governor, Mrs Esther Adeleke, in her speech, stated that she leveraged her relationship with the Fidelity Bank Managing Director to bring the
Mrs Adeleke appreciated the Managing Director for the initiative, noting that the state is ready to support the bank.
"I leverage on the fact that I used to be a banker and I know the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank. She was my friend and colleague at the University of Nigeria and the banking industry. So, I leverage my knowing her one-on-one to bring Fidelity Food Bank to my state.
"It is purely Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, personal initiative. She started this and looked at how it had turned out. Her initiative of touching lives is a well-thought-out initiative.
"I want to encourage other banks to emulate her initiative. Apart from this project, Fidelity Bank is doing a lot of other humanitarian things, and I am happy for her because the bank is growing rapidly. My prayer is that Onyeali-Ikpe and the bank will never suffer. My state will support Fidelity Bank massively," she stated.
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