By joshua “WIDOW IS NOT A BURDEN, SHE IS A BUILDER” — KOGI WIDOWS COORDINATOR DEMANDS JUSTICE, SUPPORT AHEAD OF INTERNATIONAL WIDOWS DAY
The Kogi State Government has been urged to deepen support for widows as the world prepares to mark the 2026 International Widows Day on June 23.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lokoja, Kogi State Widows Program Coordinator, Chief Ojone Ojatah, said the true measure of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens, noting that widowhood remains one of the harshest life transitions women face.
She listed the challenges widows contend with daily: economic hardship, social isolation, the burden of raising children alone, exclusion from policy frameworks, and disinheritance through negative profiling.
“Yet, too often, widows are left behind in policy and planning,” Ojatah said.
Drawing from both the Qur’an and the Bible, the Coordinator stressed that caring for widows is not charity but a binding obligation. She cited Surah Al-Baqarah 2:240, which commands one year of maintenance and shelter for widows, and Surah An-Nisa 4:8 on kindness to the vulnerable.
From the Bible, she referenced Isaiah 1:17 — “defend the oppressed, plead the case of widows” — and James 1:27 on caring for widows in distress.
“Caring for widows is a foundational, measurable, and enforceable obligation of any just and compassionate society,” she stated.
Ojatah commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and First Lady Hajiya Sefinat Ododo for their commitment to widows. Since May 2025, she said, the administration has delivered quarterly food distribution to over 20,000 widows and sponsored more than ten empowerment programs under the APC-led government.
She conveyed widows’ “earnest desire” for the Governor to grace the official flag-off of 2026 International Widows Day activities on June 23, and to endorse continuity of his administration’s policies.
The Coordinator called on government officials, traditional and faith leaders, CSOs, private sector partners, and well-meaning individuals to support the upcoming event. “Your kindness can bring hope and relief to those who need it most,” she said.
She reaffirmed widows’ support for policies that advance human dignity and economic inclusion, in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
As the world approaches International Widows Day 2026, Ojatah charged the public: “A widow is not a burden. She is a builder of families. She is a custodian of values. She is a symbol of resilience. Let us commit to empowering and equipping widows for generations to come.”
She concluded with prayers for widows of Kogi State, Governor Ododo, the First Lady, Secretary to the State Government Chief Dr. Mrs. Folashade Arike, Engr. Bashiru Gegu, DG Government House Alhaji Shauibu Oricha, and Nigeria as a whole.