Cleric to Nigerians: Treat widows with respect, compassion

A clergy of the Catholic Church of The Assumption, Falomo, Lagos, Rev. Father Francis Ike, has urged Nigerians to treat widows with respect, dignity and compassion.

He gave the advice at the one-year memorial service for Engineer Austin Onwuzulike, which held at the church recently.

“Treat widows with respect, dignity and compassion, recognizing their strength and resilience. Their situation is unique, hence it’s essential to listen and tailor your support to their individual needs,” he said.

Stressing the need for widows to draw nearer to God and place their confidence in Him, the cleric admonished them to engage in meaningful businesses so as to enable them take adequate care of themselves and children.

According to Father Ike, when widows place their confidence in God and work harder, they would live a fulfilled life and will be able to train their children to any level.

Also speaking at the memorial service, the wife of the deceased, Lady Christy Oknwuzulike, expressed her gratitude to God for guiding and protecting her family throughout their mourning period.

She, however, called on the government and well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of indigent widows.

In her words: “There are some needy widows in the society; they need financial assistance from both the government and corporate organisations. Such assistance would go a long way in helping them to take adequate care of themselves as well as their children.”

The widow added: “Women should rise up and assist their husbands, because gone are the days when men will be the only one taking care of the financial responsibilities in the home.”