By Alade Aromashodu

As Muslims across the world prepare to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir, the Odio-Olowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos has launched a subsidised ram sales initiative aimed at supporting residents during the festive season.

Speaking during the coordination of the exercise, the Chairman of the LCDA, Dr. ‘Seyi Jakande, said the programme formed part of his administration’s commitment to progressive governance and grassroots support.

According to him, the initiative was introduced to ease the financial burden on residents during the Sallah celebrations and would become a continuous programme in future Eid-el-Kabir seasons.

“We promised progressive governance for the residents during our election campaign and this is part of it,” Jakande said.
He explained that only residents with Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) or Temporary Voter’s Cards (TVCs) were eligible to benefit from the programme, stressing that the move was designed to encourage civic participation and strengthen democracy.
“This initiative is to further encourage people not to sit on the fence,” he stated.
Jakande dismissed criticisms over the use of PVCs and TVCs as means of identification, insisting that those who participate in the democratic process should enjoy its dividends.
“We strongly believe that for people to enjoy the dividend of democracy, they should be participants. We are not trying to disenfranchise anybody, especially when the window for registration with INEC is still open,” he said.
He added that residents could easily register with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and become eligible for future benefits.
The chairman disclosed that rams currently selling for between N350,000 and N400,000 in the open market were being offered to residents at a subsidised rate of N80,000.
“The ram they are selling today to residents of Odio-Olowo/Ojuwoye costs between N350,000 and N400,000 in the market, but we are selling them for N80,000,” he said.
Jakande further noted that the gesture was intended to deepen residents’ confidence in democracy and encourage them to protect the democratic process.
He explained that PVCs and TVCs were adopted as identification tools because they reflect the locality of the cardholders and help verify beneficiaries as residents of the LCDA.