Sokoto State Government to conduct mass wedding for 250 widows, widowers

The Sokoto State Government said on Sunday
that it would give out in a mass wedding, 250
widows and widowers across the state to give
them a new lease of life. Alhaji Zubairu Goronyo, the state Commissioner
for Social Development, who announced this at
the screening of the beneficiaries in Sokoto, said
that the venture would gulp N30 million. According to him, a date will soon be fixed for
the exercise. A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN), who witnessed the screening that was
done to establish the health status of the
beneficiaries, reported that it was handled by
various committees. Alhaji Zubairu said that beds, mattresses, sets of
chairs, curtains and two sets of female
wrappers would be given to each of the 125
brides. He said that similarly, the grooms would be
given two sets of guinea brocade, N20,000 each
as dowry to formalise the marriage agreement,
and another N20,000 each to boost their
businesses. The commissioner said that the state governor,
Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, and the Sultan of Sokoto,
Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, would serve as
guardians to the brides and grooms at the
ceremony. “The exercise is going to be on a quarterly
basis, so as to enable more potential brides and
grooms to benefit,” he said. (NAN)