10th June, 2017
Sadiq Abubakar/Maiduguri
Borno State First Lady, Hajiya Nana Kashim Shettima on Saturday distributed Ramadan food items to 200 widows and orphans affected by the boko Haram insurgency.
The distribution was performed under her pet project, Support for Widows, Orphans and Tsangaya (SOWT) Foundation, on Saturday.
The Chairman of the foundation, Alhaji Mohammed Bello said out of the 200 widows and orphans, 50 widows were families of slained Civilian JTF and each of the beneficiary was given a 25 kg bag of rice and a 25 kg bag of sugar in addition to N5000 cash as transport money.
Bello also called on wealthy individuals and organizations to emulate the governor’s wife while commending the First Lady for her support and assistance to the widows, orphans and the vulnerable in the state.
He advised the beneficiaries to make proper use of the gesture and engage in self reliant occupations rather than begging.
The SWOT Chairman also appealed to the beneficiaries to pray for the founder of the NGO and governments at both the state and federal levels while thanking all those that supported and assisted the foundation in kind and cash.
The Deputy Governor who was represented by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan also thanked the first lady for her concern and support for the less privileged in the society.
He appreciated the assistance rendered to the widows and orphans while assuring that the state government would establish a Zakat Board that will be assisting the needy in the society as part of its legal framework on review and update of state laws that are outdated.
He said that the state government will eradicate street begging and introduce compulsory free education for school-age children in the state with stringent penalty for parents that refuse to enrol their children in school as part of measures to address the educational backwardness of the state and to fight illiteracy.
Kaka Shehu noted also that the governor has deemed it necessary to modernize most of the infrastructure with a view to standardize the facilities and amenities, among others.
He said street begging was caused by the influx of people to the towns following the Boko Haram insurgency.
The Borno State House of Assembly member representing MMC constituency, Hon. Abubakar Tijani donated N1.2 million to the SWOT Foundation while the Chairman of ALGON in Borno State and MMC Chairman, Hon. Garba Saje pledged that all the 27 LGAs in the state will support the foundation with N2.7 million.
Borno State Commissioners Forum pledged N100,000 each to the NGO while the state Commissioner for Urban and Rural Water Supply, Dr. Zainab Gimba pledged Eid-el- Fitri sallar dresses to all the 200 widows and orphans as well as the 15 orphans schooling at El Kanem College of Theology, Maiduguri being sponsored by SWOT Foundation.
The Director of the College, Dr. Mohammed Sani Al Bature also announced additional sponsorship of 10 widows every year on free education or studies to the present 15 orphans schooling free of charge in the school while additional 5 orphans will be enrolled this year to bring the total to 20 orphans on sponsorship.
Mrs. Nana Shettima thanked the El Kanem College of Theology Maiduguri for the partnership and sponsorship of the widows and orphans free of charge.
Resource persons at the occasion include Professor Ibrahim Umara and Dr. Yahuza Mohammed of University of Maiduguri who delivered papers on Social and Collective Responsibility to Widows, Orphans, Tsangaya Teachers or Tutors and the vulnerable in the society.