By Victoria Okpanachi
Wife of the state governor, Hajia Sefinat Ododo, has joined the rest of the world to mark the International Day of Charity with an empowerment programme that benefited more than 500 vulnerable persons across the state.
Speaking during the event held on Saturday, in Lokoja, Hajia Sefinat said charity remained an important tool for building a compassionate and inclusive society, stressing that the occasion provided an opportunity to bring hope and support to people in need.
As part of the activities marking the day, the first lady through her Ohunene Empowerment Initiative, distributed cash grants and food items to vulnerable groups, with the beneficiaries including women, elderly persons, roadside hawkers and other disadvantaged members of the society.
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Hajia Ododo reaffirmed her commitment to sustaining humanitarian interventions in the state, saying her initiative would continue to support women, the elderly and other vulnerable groups.
She urged citizens to make kindness a daily practice, noting that small acts of generosity could collectively make a significant difference in communities.
The First Lady also urged the wives of commissioners and other political appointees to intensify their humanitarian activities, charging them to see service to humanity as a collective responsibility that should go beyond political considerations.
She commended the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, for her humanitarian interventions through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), describing her as the “Mother of Charity” whose commitment to the less privileged had brought hope to many Nigerians.
In her goodwill message, Barrister Tina Ekele of the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) said the International Day of Charity, observed every September 5, was an opportunity to promote kindness, compassion and giving. She noted that even small acts of compassion could bring hope, reduce suffering and contribute to building a better society.
The Wife of the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hajia Zainab Umar, and the Wife of the Attorney-General of Kogi State, Hajia Karimat Abdullahi, also commended Hajia Ododo for her benevolence and commitment to supporting people in need across the state.
Earlier, the First Lady led a Charity Day Road Walk from Obasanjo Square to the Government House, Lokoja, where the elderly, roadside hawkers and other vulnerable groups received cash gifts and food items
At the Government House, cash grants and food items were also presented to 50 elderly women as part of the initiative’s activities to commemorate the day.
