By Blessing Odega
The Plateau Government has distributed food items to 1,000 widows in the Jos-Bukuru metropolis to enable them to celebrate Christmas.
Mr Sunday Abdu, Executive Secretary (ES), Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (PLASEMA), said during the distribution on Monday in Jos that the gesture was part of the government’s commitment to support vulnerable groups and spread goodwill during the festive period.
Abdu said the gesture was meant to bring joy, relief, and a sense of inclusion to widows during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“The governor has directed that we should get the widows to personally come and collect the items.
“The gesture is to make the Christmas more enjoyable for the poor. It is to remove some stress from our widows who have nobody to take care of them.
“This gesture is not only for widows; we are also going to meet Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in their camps and also extend the gesture.
“We have IDPs in Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Bassa and Mangu, and we will reach out to all of them in the spirit of Christmas,” he said.
He reaffirmed the government’s dedication to the social welfare programmes aimed at improving the wellbeing of vulnerable citizens.
Some of the widows thanked the state government for the support, describing it as timely and thoughtful, especially during the yuletide.
Mrs Abosede Segun, one of the beneficiaries, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said this was the first time any governor would remember the widows in such a manner.
Segun appealed for sustained assistance beyond the festive period.
NAN reports that the beneficiaries received essential food items such as rice, groundnut oil, seasoning cubes and transport fare to enable them to transport the items. NAN
