Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has approved the release of N18 million to support vulnerable widows in three local government areas of the state under the second phase of the O’Datiwa Widow Care Initiative.
The intervention, which aims to cushion the effects of economic hardship on widows and their families, was launched on Monday at the palace of the Olubaka of Oka-Akoko Kingdom, Oba Dr. Yusuf Adebori Adeleye, in Akoko South West Local Government Area.
The governor said more than 500 widows from all 15 local government districts benefited from free medical check-ups, medicines and financial assistance under the initiative.
Aiyedatiwa said the program was part of his administration’s social intervention efforts aimed at providing relief to vulnerable and less privileged members of society.
Represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Bosede Osamaye, she said the initiative was conceived by Aiyedatiwa to support widows who had had to take on the responsibility of caring for their families after the death of their spouses.
Osamaye said the governor had identified widows as a vulnerable group requiring government intervention, particularly in view of the prevailing economic challenges.
“The Governor has identified this vulnerable group who, as a result of the death of their spouses, face several difficulties.
“We have come to collaborate with them, providing them with help as a government to alleviate their poverty in the way we believe we can,” he said.
She explained that the intervention was also designed to help widows develop resilience and cope with the responsibility of raising their children and supporting their households alone.
The commissioner commended Governor Aiyedatiwa and his wife, Mrs. Esther Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, for their commitment to improving the welfare of vulnerable groups across the state.
According to her, the transparent selection process involved community chiefs, leaders and opinion leaders, who helped identify vulnerable widows in their respective communities.
He revealed that the initiative would be extended to Idanre and Okitipupa local government areas, stressing that the state government was determined to ensure that vulnerable women across the state benefited from the intervention.
The Olubaka of Oka-Akoko, Oba Dr. Yusuf Adebori Adeleye, commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for introducing programs targeting vulnerable members of the society.
The traditional ruler described the intervention as evidence of the governor’s concern for the people, particularly those facing difficult circumstances.
“Governor Aiyedatiwa’s government is a government that cares about everyone. No one is left behind in its laudable programs,” the monarch said.
The traditional ruler also thanked Governor Aiyedatiwa and his wife for choosing Oka-Akoko to initiate the second phase of the initiative.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Radiat Temitope, thanked the governor, his wife and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development for their intervention.
He said free medical services had provided an opportunity to widows who normally could not afford medical check-ups to access medical care and receive medicines free of cost.
Temitope also said the financial assistance would help the beneficiaries meet some of their immediate needs and support their families.
The event was attended by officials of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, representatives of Ondo State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, Hospital Management Board, local government officials, women leaders and other stakeholders.
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