From Emmanuel Uzor, Abakaliki
Governor David Umahi has charged widows to avail themselves of the state government empowerment scheme for widows and downtrodden to sustain themselves even as he reiterated the readiness of his administration to promote and protect their rights.
Umahi in his goodwill message to the widows as part of activities marking International Widows’ Day, said his administration has been in the forefront of the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women especially widows across the state.
He charged them to maximise the empowerment scheme of the state government by going into full agricultural programme which would put food on their tables and as well cater for other needs.
While commending his wife, Rachael Umahi for using her pet project, Family Succour and Uplift Foundation to promote widows’ welfare, Governor Umahi reiterated the readiness of his government to partner with relevant local and international agencies towards achieving full rights and recognition for widows.
“My administration is not taking the welfare of every Ebonyian for granted especially the widows and the downtrodden. That is why we have come up with the empowerment scheme for the widows where over 5000 widows drawn from the 171 electoral wards across the three senatorial zones have benefited from the first phase of the scheme and were given N100, 000 each to start up any business of their choice”.