...empowers 350 widows, 25 orphans, Gov. Oyebanji urges privileged Nigerians to adopt widows, orphans
Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, on Thursday officially unveiled her pet project, Widows and Orphans Hope Project (WAOH Project) giving out material and financial empowerment to 350 widows.
At an impressive and well-attended ceremony held at the Abiodun Adetiloye Hall of the State Trade Fair Complex in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti First Lady also gave financial support of N100,000 each to 25 students who are orphans under the WAOH Project.
The students majority of whom were drawn from federal and state-owned tertiary institutions in Ekiti State received the funds to assist them in reducing the burden of paying their school fees, examination fees and purchasing instructional materials.
The benefiting widows received materials like deep freezers, grinding machines, sewing machines, hair dryers, garri processing machines, washing machines, photocopying machines, computer sets, gas burners and cylinders which were based on what they requested for in the forms they had earlier filled.
Some of the beneficiaries received raw food for retail sale while the aged ones among them received N20,000 each and bags of assorted food items. All the beneficiaries who received material empowerment also received N10,000 to transport the materials back to their various destinations.
Operators of medicine stores among them were empowered with N100,000 each which had been paid to a prominent pharmacy in the state where they will receive the drugs worth thee money to stock their shops.
The ceremony was attended by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (who addressed the gathering virtually in his capacity as chairman of the event), former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye; House of Representatives member for Ekiti South Federal Constituency 2, Hon. Femi Bamisile; Managing Director of Premium Trust Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Emefienim; state All Progressives Congress (APC Chairman, Barrister Paul Omotoso; state Assembly members and State Executive Council members.
The State Council of Traditional Rulers were represented at the event by the Chairman, the Olojudo of Ido Ekiti, Oba Ayorinde Ilori Faboro while monarchs' wives were also present.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji who spoke at the event urged privileged Nigerians to imbibe the culture of adopting widows and orphans for economic and educational empowerment to give them succour and make them fulfilled in life.
Mr. Oyebanji said the WAOH Project was an initiative conceived by his wife to continue the good work of her immediate predecessor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who was on hand to distribute the education empowerment to the orphaned beneficiaries.
The Governor who assured that the over 30,000 widows already registered under the scheme would be touched one way or the other throughout the life of his administration also promised that the exercise would be a continuous one.
He also expressed the readiness of his administration to organize business development seminars for widows through the state Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
While stressing the importance of adopting orphans and widows for support by the privileged in the society, the Governor expressed his readiness to adopt a little child described as "a double orphan" who was one of the beneficiaries of the Back to School Initiative of his wife held last month.
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