By Fadhlillah Abdallah el-Kurebe
Former Zamfara state governor, AbdulAziz Yari has distributed assorted grains and clothing materials as Ramadan welfare packages worth N169 million to 5,000 orphans across the 17 Emirate Councils of the state as Ramadan welfare.
The Secretary of the distribution committee, Sanusi Liman Dan Alhaji said in Gusau on Thursday, said that each orphan was given food items and clothing materials worth N36,000.
According to him, orphans in each of the 16 Emirates got 41 and half bags of millet, 41 and half bags of maize 43 bags of sugar and 87 bags of sugar, while Gusau Emirate got double the number of items other Emirates got.
Similarly, 166 female and 111male orphans from each of the 16 Emirates benefitted while 544 female and 222 male orphans benefitted in Gusau Emirate.
He added that each of the 5,000 orphans was given six bags of millet, six bags of maize, five bags of rice and two bags of sugar as well as brocade for female and wrappers for female orphans with N2,000 for sawing.
Dan Alhaji said a total of N33,840 was spent on each of the 5,000 orphans, which totaled N196.2 million.
According to him, the gesture was part of Yari’s effort to assist the orphans to celebrate the forth-coming Eid Al-Fitr with ease.
He further disclosed that Yari donated 47 trailer load of assorted food items to the internally displaced persons across the state.
He called on well to do individuals in the state to emulate Yari and donate to the orphans and the less privileged.
Representing the former governor at the distribution exercise, a former Commissioner of Religious Affairs, Abdullahi Maharazu said Yari was not only a politician but an Islamic scholar who was blessed with good qualities as a Muslim.
Maharazu explained that, Yari possessed certain good qualities which every Muslim was supposed to posses, adding that, “His wealth and position have never prevented him from worshipping Allah”
The former Commissioner also explained that, when Yari took over the state as a governor in 2011, only 5000 orphans were provided with Ramadan welfare package but the figure was increased to 40,000 in 2019.
Maharazu maintained that, Yari was a philanthropist who has greatly touched the lives of many Nigerians.
“The former Governor has put a smile on the faces of uncountable number of people both within and outside the state.”
“He was the only person in the whole country that donated 172 trucks of grains to the less privileged, 47 trucks of grains to the IDPs and expended N169 million on food items and clothing materials to the orphans.
“We have nothing to offer for him other than to continue to pray to Allah to guide and protect him in all his future endeavors.”
Also speaking, Lawal M. Liman Gabdon Kaura, represented by the former chairman of Gusau local government, Babangida Damba challenged politicians in the state to emulate Yari instead of wasting their time on baseless criticisms.
“I am calling on those who view Yari’s philanthropist attitude as politically motivated to come out and do the same so that the less privileged persons in the state could be greatly assisted.”
