From JEFF AMECHI AGBODO, Abakaliki
The wife of the Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs Joseph Elechi has celebrated the Christmas with over 1, 000 widows and children in the state. The widows and children who were drawn from 13 local government areas, 64 development centres, military and paramilitaries units, agencies, parastatals and 25 destitute homes in the state were given cash, rice, wrappers soap, salts, buckets, educational materials for children and condiments, among other gifts for them to celebrate Christmas.
While presenting the gifts to them at a Christmas party organized by the office of the wife of the governor, Mrs Elechi expressed dismay that most widows instead of re-marrying preferred to raise children in their late husband’s house.
She urged the widows to take God as their husbands and not to let their situation as widows deter them in life.
She said the party for the widows caught across widows from downtrodden, security agents whom their husbands had died in active service in the state.
She directed the wives of the council chairmen and development centres coordinators to fish out the real widows (indigent) who could not eat three square meals per day.
Mrs Elechi urged the widows to know God and train their children in the way of God instead of running after other men, telling them to love one another and embrace peace and kindness.
She noted that her pet project, Mother and Child Care Initiative (MCCI), has been affecting the lives of women and children, stressing that though Federal Ministry of Health took over the VVF Centre, her office still cater for their feedings and other things after their discharge.
She, therefore, encouraged them not to be dejected by their conditions, but rather ensure the moral upbringing of their children.
She also charged the chairpersons of the council areas and development centres to use the period of Christmas to identify with the less privileged persons in their areas.
Mrs Elechi said the gesture have been an annual one, where widows and children were brought together to show sense of belonging during Christmas celebration, urging them to give priority to proper upbringing of their children and be of good behaviour in spite of their condition.
She said that the celebration was borne out of her concern for the less privileged and widows who are not being treated well in the society which made them feel dejected and neglected.
According to her, “it is better to give than to receive, God loves a cheerful giver. God says we should love our neighbour. It is in the spirit of Christmas, and in the spirit of give to the poor and children that I celebrate with them. I urge you not to see your condition as a permanent one but for the time being”.
She also advised the children to obey and respect their parents in order to live long and have God’s blessing as well as exhibit good moral behaviour that would guide them in all their endeavours.
She also urged the children to advise their mothers to always access healthcare during their antenatal and other maternal services, which she said would reduce mother and child death.
The wife of the governor warned children against indecent dressing as well as other immoral behaviour that are capable of ruining their lives, urging them to read their books and be dedicated in everything they do in order to excel in life.
In a word of admonition, Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Raymond Eselu of Saint Peters Catholic Parish Ezzangbo, said though deaths of husband place burden on their widows, there is, however, need for them to trust God, saying according to the Bible, one should give thanks to God in all conditions.
His words: “You have to give thanks in every condition, respect yourselves for people to respect you; don’t kill others because you have lost your husband. If you can stay in your late husband’s house or re-marry than to stay at your husband’s house to be committing fornication and adultery which will lead you to one problem or the other. You should go closer to God and take refuge as a widow”.
Fr. Eselu also stressed the need for the widows to engage in meaningful ventures before seeking for help and commended Mrs Elechi for her kind gesture and urged other good spirited individuals to emulate her in lifting the less privileged in the state.
However, some of the widows in the state called for a special welfare scheme to cater for their needs and other less privileged persons in the society.
A widow, Mrs Elizabeth Agwu, said providing capacity building and soft loans to the widows would enable them to establish their own businesses, as well as empower them financially to meet their needs and train their children.
She commended Mrs Elechi for her efforts towards alleviating the sufferings of the less privileged and children, especially the repair of Vesco Virginal Fistula (VVF) patients free of charge.
One of the children, Miss Ugochi Innocent commended Mrs Elechi for the gifts and prayed God to give her good health and long life in order to continue in affecting the lives of children and mothers in the state.
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