Date: 2020-05-04

Association of Professional Artisans of Nigeria, Kwara State branch, has appealed to the state government to assist them with palliatives to cushion the effects of the ongoing lockdown.

Its President Joseph Olu-Akintayo, stated this at a media parley in Ilorin.

The members include carpenters, goldsmiths, tailors, and others who depend on daily incomes for their livelihood.

Olu-Akintayo said members have been counting their losses since the month-long lockdown by the state government to stem the spreadof the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, over 10,000 members in the 16 local government areas of the state are unabe to meet their economic obligations as a result of the development.

Olu-Akintayo said several members of the professional body, which comprised 39 unions were wallowing in abject poverty since the lockdown a month ago.

He said: "We are recording economic losses on a daily basis as some of us can no more live up to expectations in our respective homes, since the lockdown began.l normally receive not less than 25 telephone calls from my members on daily basis soliciting assistance to feed families."

The artisans' leader said members appealed to the government to provide succour for them to alleviate their sufferings since the lockdown has been extended for another fortnight.

The Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, recently announced the extension of the lockdown of the state by 14 days to flatten the curve of transmission of the virus, saying "this is in accordance with the position of the Federal Government and the Nigeria Governors' Forum."

Kwara State has so far recorded 11 cases of the Coronavirus infection.