Umar Ikhilor, the Secretary to the Edo State Government (SSG), has given 100 Muslim widows N1 million in total to help them during the current Ramadan.
Ikhilor gave the money yesterday in Benin City during the Ramadan Lecture and Empowerment Program of the Eminent Muslims Forum of Nigeria.
Alhaji Yusuf Bako, the Forum’s Secretary-General, represented the SSG, who praised the organization for its dedication to empowering widows and spreading Islamic knowledge.
“I inquired about the arrangements for this programme and learnt that 100 widows were being supported. I decided to contribute N1 million – N10,000 per widow – to ease their burden during the Ramadan,” Ikhilor stated.
Earlier, Alhaji Ali Muhammad, the forum’s president, stated that the organization was committed to promoting Islamic teachings and assisting Muslims through empowerment initiatives.
The senior state government official also commended the forum for its contributions to Islamic preaching and urged other Muslim organizations to follow the effort. He expressed hope that the financial support would help alleviate the widows’ financial hardships during the holy month.
“This programme, held annually during Ramadan, provides both spiritual guidance and material support to Muslims in Edo State.”
“It has become a cherished tradition, like a ‘festival of yam,’ as we also distribute food items at the end of the programme,” Muhammad, who was represented by Alhaji Yusuf Bako, said.
Mallam Luqman Muhammad, the event’s chairman, encouraged Muslims to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad by showing compassion and love to both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Some of the recipients thanked the Eminent Muslims Forum and the SSG for their prompt assistance and urged that it be continued.
