The Wife of the Abia Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, on Tuesday, handed over 35 newly built three-bedroom bungalows to indigent widows across the 17 Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state.
The houses were built under the “Dignity Homes” initiative and allocated two to each LGA.
At a ceremony held at Ahieke, Umuahia North LGA, to officially hand over the buildings, Otti said the objective of the initiative was “to improve the living conditions of vulnerable citizens and restore hope to disadvantaged women”.
She said that the initiative goes beyond providing housing, describing it as “a deliberate effort to restore dignity to widows who had lost hope”.
She explained that the conditions of some of the beneficiaries were heartbreaking prior to the intervention, adding that no citizen of Abia should live in such circumstances.
According to her, while the administration of Gov. Alex Otti continues to deliver infrastructure in the road, education and healthcare sectors, “equal attention must be given to the welfare of vulnerable groups”.
Otti called on individuals, religious bodies, corporate organisations and development partners to support government’s efforts in assisting the less privileged.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr Maureen Aghukwa, and her Poverty Alleviation and Vulnerable Groups counterpart, Mrs Blessing Felix, described the initiative as a bold step towards social inclusion and dignity restoration.
They also commended the governor and his wife for what they called compassionate and people-centred leadership.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Deputy Speaker of Abia Assembly, Chief Okezie Mmeregini, and the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Meribole, described the initiative as positively impactful.
They also lauded the initiative as a reflection of the State Government’s commitment to the wellbeing of vulnerable citizens of the state.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Policies and Interventions, Dr Christian Anokwuru, said that the houses were distributed equitably, with two units to each LGA and one additional unit provided on special consideration.
Anokwuru said that the arrangement was designed to ensure fairness, inclusiveness and broad-based impact across the state.
Reacting to the gesture, two of the beneficiaries, namely Mrs Stella Ukaegbu and Mrs Mabel Eleuo, expressed gratitude to the governor’s wife for her benevolence and compassion.
