By Damilare Adeleye

There was a massive turnout of students as the leadership of the 32nd Lagos State University Students Union (LASUSU) distributed raw food items as examination relief. 

The palliative, which was motivated by the need to cushion the effect of current economic hardship, was shared on Friday at the Hallowed Chamber of the Students Arcade. 

As the second edition of its kind in the history of the institution, the LASUSU Palliative Outreach was targeted to reach over 20, 000 students that cut-across the three major campuses (Ojo, Ikeja and Epe) of the university.

At the main campus located in Ojo, which this reporter covered, over 900 students were given the provisions which were packaged in branded and customized paper bags and some others in coloured nylon bags. 

Speaking exclusively with this reporter before the distribution, the 32nd LASUSU President, Comrade Adelakun Adeoye Moses, explained that the motive of the event was to provide for students that are out of foodstuff. He added that the initiative was geared up to ensure a better well-being of the students before the commencement of examinations.

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In his words: “When we did the 1.0, the reason that made us come up with the idea was that we realized that every time when students are about to write their exams, they are always out of foodstuff. Even apart from that, the economic situation now is not favourable to anybody. So how can we touch these students? How can we be helpful? How can the union go beyond administrative essence? So we brought the idea of touching their lives in terms of economic value. Though we cannot feed the entire students, but at least, let us touch the little ones we can reach. This is free and no one is paying anything. ”

The 32nd LASUSU President who also noted that the project was collectively orchestrated by the Executive leaders of the union, added that the union garnered some financial support from “external forces”.

When asked if the outreach would be sustained as the union's legacy, Comrade Adeoye said that the continuity of the programme would only be at the discretion of the next administration as he cannot force them to continue with the idea. 

Meanwhile, a 300-level student of Guidance and Counseling, Adebayo Samuel, who was one of the beneficiaries of the outreach, commended the union for deeming the initiative necessary.  He said: “It is a good idea and I love that it is this administration that brought the initiative. This provision will at least allow the students to have something to eat during the exam”.

 Some of the items included in each package were: two packs of noodles, a pack of spaghetti, a sachet of vegetable oil and an unknown quantity of rice.