The Sokoto State Zakkat and Endowment Commission on Monday offered free feeding and medical assistance to 500 indigent elderly persons in the state.
The commission chairman, Lawal Maidoki said the pilot programme is in partnership with the Sokoto State Media Corporation.
Mr Maidoki said the programme was part of efforts to cater for less privileged persons and improve their standard of living.
He said the elders deserve concern and attention, and called on wealthy individuals and groups to support the initiative.
“The Sokoto government supported the commission with N11 million to assist the 500 poor elderly persons under a pilot programme on feeding, medical checkup and clothing assistance.
“We are committed to reciprocating the contributions of the elderly to the society and this will be done through engaging our resources to make them happy,” Mr Maidoki said.
The chairman added that the programme “is one of the obligatory assignments to be executed by the commission” to ease the suffering of the less privileged in the society.
“We will continue to collaborate with all relevant authorities to support the life of the people and enable us sustain the gesture and expand it to cover all indigent elderly persons across the state,” he said.
According to Mr Maidoki, the 500 beneficiaries were selected by Imams in Sokoto and each was served food, and presented with N5,000, blankets and clothing material.
In his address, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Bashir Garba, commended the commission for its interventions in reducing hardship among the populace.
“We have since realised the importance of all programmes in Zakkat and endowment commission, as it has since yielded fruitful results in the development of our state.
“Moreover, the state government will continue to initiate and support more of such programmes, as it serves as an opportunity to manifest the desire of the present administration,” Mr Tambuwal said.
Earlier the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, commended the state government and the Zakkat commission for initiating the programme.
The Sultan called on wealthy individuals to emulate the gesture by contributing to ease people suffering in the society and for the elderly persons to always pray for the success of leaders.
The Chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Religious Affairs, Abdulwahab Yahaya, pledged the support of the lawmakers to all activities of the commission.
“The Sokoto State House of Assembly is fully committed to ensuring the success of all government activities, most especially on matters that have direct positive impact on the lives of the people,” Mr Yahaya said.
NAN
