Based on 2015: Tinubu shares bags of Rice, cash to Lagos residents

Former Lagos state governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this past weekend, gave out bags of rice, salt, vegetable oil, T-shirts and cash to many residents of the state. The gifts were courtesy of the APC’s national leader’s self-named foundation. Punch Metro reports that thousands of people converged on the Idowu Taylor Street, Victoria Island, of the foundation to receive their Christmas gifts.

The event was tedious for security agencies as they tried to control the large crowd that turned up from every local government area in the mega city. Beneficiaries were said to have caused a stampede and became uncontrollable as policemen resulted to firing teargas into the crowd which had no effect.

According to Naijaloaded, Tinubu noted that the Foundation gives out food stuff to the needy three times a year, when Nigerians are celebrating Sallah, Ramadan and Christmas.
He said: “I wish everybody a Merry Christmas, a joyful and peaceful Nigeria in the New Year. The country is for all of us; there is no religious poverty. Poverty knows no religion; it has no tribal mark; poverty is poverty because it affects every one of us.
“That is why I provide relief for those who ordinarily would be left with nothing during this period. I try to put something in the envelope, to provide succour for them on a day when everybody is rejoicing about the birth of the Saviour. That is the joy I derive from this”


A Special Adviser to the former Governor, Mr. Femi Oyatolu, said over 2,000 bags of rice had been distributed as of 12pm on Saturday. He opined that the exercise was not politically-motivated.
He said:“We have distributed over 2,000 bags of rice of 12.5kg. We have also distributed vegetable oil, T-shirts, salts and cash for the needy. It is not politically-motivated because we have been doing this for the past five years. It is a Christmas outreach but we also do it during Salah as well. It is just a way of giving back to society and putting smiles on people’s faces. It is not stomach infrastructure because it cuts across all political divides. It is not restricted to any group.
Apart from giving out gift items, we also do free medicals for people and also pay school fees of indigent students.”
It will be recalled that Tinubu recently revealed the reason why he withdrew his candidacy for the position of running mate with Buhari for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).