COVID-19: OPU emerges first diaspora group to support Nigeria, Southwest

The Oodua Progressive Union (OPU) has donated millions of naira to South West States – Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi states – to combat ongoing Corona Virus pandemic. The fund was directly deposited into each state’s COVID-19 Committees’ accounts. The union is the first diaspora group to achieve this.

The financial intervention followed OPU members’ resolution at the end of Ekiti World Congress in January. It was resolved that there should be regular support from Yoruba sons and daughters in foreign countries whenever the need arises.

According to the Global Convener of the Union, The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, the donation is to be given to those that are directly affected by the pandemic – for their drugs, treatment and food. The donation was from the contribution of individual members all over the world.

OPU is a non-governmental, non religious organization established to foster unity among the Yoruba race and provide a formidable platform for all Yoruba sons and daughters in the diaspora for the purpose of working for the common interest of the people.

‘’It is very important that all of us, as an international group, help the less privileged and remember millions of our people that are staying at home at this moment because of Corona Virus, and most especially those that are sick due to the virus’’, Gani Adams added.

As at present Lagos has 376 cases, FCT, 88 infections, Kano has recorded 36, Osun has 20, Oyo has 16, Edo, 15, Ogun, 12, Kwara has 9, Katsina, 12, Bauchi 7, Kaduna, 6, Akwa Ibom 9. Delta state now has 4, Ekiti, 3, Ondo, 3, Enugu, 2, Rivers, 2, Niger state, 2, Benue, 1, Anambra, 1 and Jigawa, 2.

The Chairman of OPU’s Covid-19 Fund Raising Committee, Comrade Larry Aderoju, stated that helping the victims at this critical time is important as history would not forget those that have deemed it fit to help in whatever little way they could.

He added that the financial intervention has become urgent having taken into consideration the gradual spread, and the increase in the numbers of people that have contacted the disease in Nigeria and the South West States in particular.

While explaining further on the future intervention of OPU when the need arises, the organisation’s Worldwide Publicity Secretary, Comrade Zacheaus Somorin, stated that, having spread across the world in terms of quality membership, it is expected that Yoruba sons and daughters in diaspora would always rise to the occasion.