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Lagos sports journalists hail Sanwo-Olu, O’jez over COVID-19 palliatives

Sports writers in Lagos were all smiles at the weekend when they received COVID-19 palliatives donated to their body by the state government and entertainment outfit, O’Jez.

Sports writers in Lagos were all smiles at the weekend when they received COVID-19 palliatives donated to their body by the state government and entertainment outfit, O’Jez.

The Lagos government, through the state Sports Commission (LSSC) and O’jez got the palliatives on Saturday to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on sports journalists in the state.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony at Molade Okoya-Thomas Multi-purpose Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, LSSC Director General, Oluwatoyin Gafaar, said the idea was to cushion the effect of the pandemic on friends of the commission.

His words: “This is in line with what Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been doing to relief the citizens during this difficult period and SWAN Lagos being our immediate constituency.

“We have no option than to extend the gesture and support the association. We have a lot of plans for Lagos SWAN members and as we move forward together, we will seek ways to support them.”

In similar vein, LSSC Director of Grassroots Development, Kolawole Olusegun, described journalists as major stakeholders in the sports sector.

“We believe that Lagos SWAN is a major stakeholder in sports development, the association is our partner in progress and we’ve been working together.

“The management of the Lagos State Sports Commission deem it necessary to reach out to the association by supporting them with this palliatives to cushion the effect of the coronavirus pandemic,” Kolawole said.

Receiving the palliatives, Lagos sports journalists chairman, Debo Oshundun, thanked Sanwo-Olu for the laudable gesture.

“You know in any given situation, journalists are at the receiving end. People always say journalism is a thankless job.

“Even during the lockdown when people were at home, we were still working.

“We had discussions with the sports commission on the need to support sports journalists. So, the state government, through the sports commission gave us palliatives to cushion the effect of the COVID -19 pandemic on our members,” he said.

He also thanked the management of O’Jez Entertainment for supporting the association.

“O’Jez fumigated the SWAN Secretariat inside the National Stadium, Surulere and also provided face-masks and some food items for our members,” he said.

Oshundun, who disclosed that the association provided boxes of Honeywell products for members, added: “It’s tough for everybody, but this is what we have to do as an exco for our members to ameliorate the economic effect of the pandemic.

“What matters to me as chairman, is the welfare of our members and in anyway or form that we can achieve that with the support of my exco, that’s what we do.

“We’ve been partner in progress with the Lagos State Sports Commission and by extension, the Lagos State Government.

“We’ve had good relationship with them, even before my coming to office.

“We will continue to strengthen the relationship and make progress together,” Oshundun said.

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