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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
Over 30 widows in Ebonyi State have received succour from a humanitarian organization in the state, De Norsemen Klub International (DNKI).
The organisation donated 25kg bags of rice and N10,000 cash to each beneficiary to reduce their suffering since the demise of their husbands.
The gesture was to commemorate their humanitarian day, which the organisation recently celebrated across the world.
The widows, who were overwhelmed with joy, commended the organization for putting smiles on their faces.
Mrs. Esther Kenneth Idike, whose husband died in January this year, said no one has ever remembered her since she lost her husband.
She said things have been very hard for her since that January and she felt abandoned until succour came her way through De Norsemen Klub International. She expressed surprise at the gesture, as according to her, she didn’t expect that someone could remember her.
She said: “I am very happy, I never expected this type of gesture. I just saw a message in my phone. Nobody called me; I came here because of the message I got.
“Since my husband died in January this year, nobody has called me to give me a bag of rice but today, I am getting it through the Norsemen group. My prayer is for God to increase their pockets. Anywhere they brought out what they gave to me, my God will reward them.
“Life has not been easy for me since I lost my husband but God has been there for me.”
An aged widow, Mrs Christiana Eze also expressed surprise at the gesture. She said: “I am overwhelmed with joy. I was not expecting this gesture. They have given me food and money. My God will reward them abundantly.”
The DNKI had visited Abakaliki correctional center where it donated some items including, detergents, toiletries, slippers and disinfectants, among other things to the inmates. Governor of DNKI in the state, Chief Okenwa Uka, said the association will continue to remember the less privileged and the forgotten in the society.
He appreciated the management of the facility for adequately taking care of the inmates and assured that the group will assist in securing the release of some of the inmates to decongest the facility.
Uka implored the inmates to turn a new leaf when they leave the facility and avoid what may bring them back there.
He said: “We want to appreciate the management of the Abakaliki correctional service centre for the good job they are doing. The last time we came here, we saw how congested this place was and promises were made to intervene.
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“I came again the last time for our school projects and we interface with the people here. I must confess that the management is doing wonderfully well because the number of inmates here has reduced drastically. The efforts that the management of this facility is putting to ensure that the inmates are taken care of is highly commendable.
“The inmates are still our brothers and today is a very special day. Today, all over the world is known as DNKI humanitarian service day. It is a day set aside to reach out to the needy, to the indigent and carry out services that could be very beneficial to mankind.
“Over the years, we have visited many places. During my first year in office, we were at the motherless babies home in Nsugbe. The second year, we went to a motherless babies home in Izzi local government area and the third year, we were at Nwibokote also in Izzi local government area where they had cholera outbreak and we donated disinfectants, clothes and other items. This year, being my last year in office, I decided that we need to come around this correctional centre to also show love to our brothers, relatives , friends and well-wishers that are being held here.
“We understand clearly that yes, there could be people that are here that had already got their sentences and are being kept here for correctional purposes. We are also aware that there are people who are here for one crime or the other. There are some persons who are also here who may be innocent and as an organization that believes in justice and equity, we want to tell you people that all hope is not lost. We want to tell you that you keep faith in God because He is all-knowing.
“We want to assure you that some of our members that are here with you are lawyers and can offer assistance to some of you pro-bono (free of charge ). I am already intervening in one matter and I can assure that in few weeks to come, the person that I am intervening for, will be free and will join his relatives at home. So, I want to tell you people that we are available, we will make our numbers available to the management of this custodial centre.
“We will have a special time with the management of this custodial centre so that in our own little way, we will find a way to assist those that we can assist and as well pray for everybody because we believe that God’s intervention is the best intervention that can change every situation.
“I want to offer advice. If you are here because you actually committed a crime, my dear brother, crime doesn’t pay, it has not paid anybody. At the beginning, it may seem sweet but it can never be sweet because when the repercussions come, it counts more than whatever fun you may have thought of you got from it. So, my advise is that if God grants you freedom and you step out from this place, make a change.
“There is nobody that cannot change, nobody was born to be static. Leave evil, depart from it completely and embrace the almighty God because that is the way to survive. Some of us started with nothing but we are something today because we rested our hope in God.”
Receiving the group during the visit, the Deputy Controller of Corrections, Benedict Oyoko, lauded them for their gesture. He called on other organizations, public spirited individuals and government to also donate to the inmates.
He revealed that many inmates are turning new leaf and that the centre has provided enabling environment for them to excel in life through educational opportunities.
Oyoko said: “I want to commend you for your good work. We, the management of this custodial centre, will make everything possible to ensure that there will be no outbreak in this custodial centre that will put the state in high tension.
“Many inmates are changing, we have many things that made them to change. National open university is in this custodial centre and we have registered many students and many of them are going to do their Masters degree in the university and government is going to pay for them.
“We have encouraged the students to put in their best in education. We have so many things that can make the small ones here to change. We have primary school, we have secondary school.
“So many inmates are here because of civil matters because people want to match them and they resisted them. This can happen to any of us but we pray God will continue to be with the inmates because it is only God that is the finisher of any man’s faith.”
