..700 widows benefit in Day 1 distribution in Akoko S/E
The ongoing Ondowidows’care palliatives distribution by the wife of Ondo State Governor, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu today reached the 16th Local Government Area, Akoko South East with 700 widows on the first day exercise.
The exercise, however, continues at the same local government tomorrow due to the inability to cover all the registered widows as a result of their large number.
The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social development, Mrs Titi Adeyemi, daughter of the soil, who was on ground to give support to the exercise commended the initiative, noting that the happiness of women is of utmost importance to the Akeredolu-led government.
“I must say looking at the faces of all our widows, all our women from my local government that I saw when I entered the council this morning, personally I felt so happy because their own happiness really infected me.
“I was very happy seeing their happy faces, happy smiles, hopeful faces at the end of the day, what do you expect from happy faces? good things.
The commissioner further commended Governor Akeredolu for giving full support to all initiatives of the First Lady.
He is giving full support to Aabinrin so that she can impact heavily on women and this time around on widows through the palliatives u see all of them carrying out of this hall.”.
The distribution of palliatives continues in the same Local Government on Monday due to the huge number of registered beneficiaries.
According to the programme coordinator, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor on Gender, Research and Documentation, Mrs Temitope Daniyan, 700 out of over 1500 widows were attended to today while the rest will get theirs on Monday.
“You can see that widows in Akoko South East Local Government are happy and appreciative of what her excellency has done. They confirme it has never happened in the history of Ondo state. It is a very new one and people are joyous and grateful for this initiative.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke with JATS, said they were flabbergasted by the items given to them, saying previous dividends from past governments were usually given to a few selected people.
Mrs Abayode Rachael, who lost her husband in 1990 and has been solely catering for their three kids, said, “I heard in my street at Irobo quarters that we should register for widow’s palliatives and I went ahead to do so”.
The tearful woman poured her heart out in appreciation and prayer for the initiator, saying this was the first time to benefit from such gesture as a widow.
“Ema bami gbayo lonio moyo, ebami gbayo loni o, moma yo o (Come and rejoice with me today, I am joyous x2). This song was what Mrs Aariola Ogunoye used to express her joy as she received the widows palliative from Arabinrin Betty Akeredolu.
According to her, “people rarely remember widows, despite all we pass through but this government deemed it fit to cater for our needs. May God never leave the First Lady and her family”.
In her own reaction, Mrs Dahunsi Dorcas, said “I am very bewildered that something like this could happen through APC government for the widows. I lost my husband in 2019 and I have been the one catering for our five children.
“Whenever they give things like this out to the widows, only few privileged people used to have access to it. For this one, I am very surprised that I could benefit. I pray they and their children find favour too”.
Words of excitement, songs, appreciation and prayers were highlights of the process as the women carted away the palliatives they described as “highly valuable.
