AMAC chairman distributes relief materials to widows

Alhaji Ibrahim Candido, the Executive Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), on Thursday began the distribution of relief materials to widows selected from different wards of the area council.


Candido, while making the donation, said that it was a project, undertaken in collaboration with the council’s Vice Chairman, Mr Lawrence Onochukwu, to assist the less privileged in the society.

He said that the duo had resolved to give out 50 per cent of their monthly salaries to cater for the needs of the widows.

According to him, the gesture will continue until the end of their tenure.

``When we assumed office, my vice chairman and I agreed that throughout our three-year tenure, our salaries will be divided into two.

`The first half will be used for a social welfare scheme, while the remaining half will be our take-home pay.

``We have agreed that every month, we would devote 50 per cent of our salary to cater for the needy, particularly those who cannot afford three square meals,” he said.

Candido, however, called on officers in the Social Welfare Department of the 12 wards of the council to shun the act of selecting ``political widows’’ for the scheme.

He added that they should rather pick those who were not able to take care of their needs as potential beneficiaries.

Besides, Candido said that the scheme was also aimed at taking care of certain category of prisoners and orphans.

``This scheme intends to go to the prison and look for some unfortunate Nigerians who are languishing in prison because of minor offences.

``So many of our brothers and sisters are in the prison because they cannot meet up their bail conditions,” he said.

Also speaking, Onochukwu called on well- meaning Nigerians to replicate such gestures by touching the lives of less-privileged persons.

He said that the fulfilment of someone’s life could only be gauged by the number of lives which such a person had been able to touch in the society.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Lami Ibrahim, expressed appreciation to the council chairman and his deputy for the donation, praying that God would also sustain their families.

Another widow, Mrs Salamatu Mohammed, commended the efforts of the AMAC executives, noting that they still found it expedient to care for the needy in spite of the current economic recession in the country.
 12 widows, who were selected from six wards in AMAC, benefited from the largesse.

The donated items include bags of rice while some undisclosed amount of money was also given to the beneficiaries.