As part of activities lined up to make this year's Christmas memorable, the Ebonyi State Government has treated asEbonyi widows and the aged to a Christmas Party.
Speaking at the event held at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, Thursday, Governor David Nweze Umahi thanked participants for turning up to participate in the merrymaking.
Governor Umahi cautioned politicians against meddling with items meant for widows and the less privileged, saying that God frowns at such behaviour.
"When you have not done well, you should appreciate that you have not done well.
"We should celebrate our fathers and mothers, if you want to do that you have to be wise and how to be wise is to listen to God, do not take what belongs to the widows.
"The wisdom is in not fighting the widows, the wisdom is in not taking what belongs to the widows, the poor.
"This is the reason most politicians are poor, they finish their tenure, one month they have become poor because they have taken what belongs to the poor."
The Governor announced that the Government would soon roll out free medical services for Elders and the less privileged in the new University of Health Sciences, Uburu to take care of their health challenges.
"We are going to give free medical test for the widows and elders, 1000 persons per Local Government Area at the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences Uburu.
Governor Umahi advised the elders to caution their children against predisposition to child trafficking in the guise of oversea business trip which he noted was on the increase.
He apealled to the Elders and the youth to curtail involvement in unreasonable agitations and activities of unknown gunmen to ensure peaceful society.
The Governor solicited useful information from members of the public on how to dislodge the hideout of the bandits in order to bring them to justice.
"We the Igbos, we agitate for one Nigeria of equal treatment, equal opportunity, now it is time to come together and end the banditry in South East, enough ought to be enough.
"Good leaders come from God, bad leaders also come from God. God can bring a good man and his policies will deal with the people because the people have not appreciated God."
The Governor also charged the Elders and widows to support the candidature of Rt. Honourable Francis Nwifuru to succeed him in 2023 to ensure continued peace in the State.
Earlier, Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Matters and Rural Development, Chief Donatus Njoku said the exercise was conceived since the inception of Umahi administration to appreciate those who have contributed their youthful age to the development of the State.
He called on the youthful population to keep contributing their quota to the development of the State on the assurance that their efforts would be rewarded in due time.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, South East Zone, Reverend Father Abraham Nwali applauded Governor Umahi for touching the lives of the less privileged in the Society through periodic financial interventions.
He enjoined the widows to hold on to God in prayer for continued guidance and protection from societal challenges.
The Chairman of the Elders Council, Chief Ben Okah and Sir Joseph Eze lauded the Governor for making the Elders the mainstay of his administration and prayed God to bless him more.
On-behalf of the praying widows, Mrs. Theresa Mgbabor appreciated the Governor for making himself a source of succour to them in the state through the monthly stipend and other measures.
"We saying thank you to His Excellency, we have been receiving ten thousand naira every month till today, he made himself husband to us, buying wrappers for us, now we can talk in our husbands ' houses, before we can not talk."
The Deputy Governor, Dr Kelechi Igwe, Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly and APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Right Honourable Francis Nwifuru, APC chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha among other dignitaries witnessed the ceremony.
Post a Comment