Eid: Holidaymakers Shower Encomium On Osun Govt For Free Train Ride

Holiday makers for the 2017 Eid-il-Kabir festival have continued to shower encomium on the government of the State of Osun for the provision of free train ride from Lagos to Osogbo.

It would be recalled that it is a policy of the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration to provide free train service from Lagos to Osogbo, during festive period of all faith.

However, for the 2017 Eid-il-Kabir festival, the first train, on Wednesday August 30, left Iddo Terminus, Lagos enroute Ikeja, through Ogun and Oyo State to end the journey in Osogbo, while the second batch left on Thursday August 31, 2017 through the same route down to Osogbo.

After the Eil-il-kabir celebration, the train is expected to leave Osogbo on Sunday September 3rd, 2017 for Lagos.

Some of the beneficiaries of the gesture said, the government had provided succor to the less-privileged who are interested but did not have the financial wherewithal to return to their families for the celebration.

One Rashidi Sunmonu, an indigene of Osogbo who joined the train service with his wife and four kids said the service had eased the tension of transport fare back home, commending the government for his concern for the less-privilege in the society.

He then appealed that the policy should be institutionalised to ensure that anyone who will take over from the administration continues it.

The Commissioner for Commerce, Industries and Cooperatives, Ismail Jayeoba-Alagbada had in a statement said, the gesture was in furtherance of Aregbesola administration’s commitment to the welfare of the ordinary people who deserve the support from the government.

He was optimistic that the free train provided by the government would give Osun indigenes in particular the opportunities to return home in order to savor the joy of the festival with their relatives.

“This is one of the social protection projects of the Aregbesola administration and since we commenced this more than six years ago, we have not looked back. Even in the face of very harsh financial constraints, we have strived to keep this offer going, convinced that it has offered great opportunities for our people and helped their finances as well,” Jayeoba-Alagbada stressed.