Zamfara State Businessmen Association yesterday said it will sponsor the wedding of 100 widows to interested suitors in the state. The chairman of the association, Alhaji Ibrahim Sani told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau that the gesture was part of its efforts to complement the state government in reducing the number of widows in the state. He said the association decided to intervene considering the increasing number of widows in the state and the need to assist in addressing the problem. Sani said that all the arrangements toward the exercise had been concluded and a suitable date would soon be fixed.
Sani said that the association had already contacted the state Ministry for Religious Affairs, Zakkat and Endowment Board as well as the Hisba Commission for their guidance and advice and called on the state government to introduce a policy that would regulate the issue of marriage so as to minimize the incidence of broken homes in the state. Sani urged non-governmental organisations in the state to contribute to the programme as government alone could not cater for the needs of all the citizens. He commended wealthy individuals in the state who had already contributed to the programme.
NAN reports that over 8,000 widows in the state had on September 26 appealed to the state government to assist look for suitors and to organise the Kano-style mass wedding for them.
Source: People’s Daily
