By Sidi A. Umar
Sokoto
Sokoto state governor, Aminmu Waziri Tambuwal, has approved the sum of N88 million to cater for the less privileged persons for the forth coming ramadan and Eidil- fitir-celebrations, Commissioner for Social Welfare, Alhaji Sirajo Marafa Gatawa, has disclosed
The commissioner, while briefing newsmen on the score card of Tambuwal’s two years in office, also disclosed that over N53 million had been spent within the last two years on the welfare of the less privileged in the state.
According to him, the welfare included the provision of clothes and other things that could make them comfortable.
He also stated that the state government, through the ministry, had rendered over N5 million financial support for the education of 710 children of the physically challenged for the 2015/2016 academic session at both primary and secondary levels.
Gatawa explained that the state government had in 2016 facilitated and supported the wedding of two grown up female orphans with the sum of N1.7 million.
In the same vein, Gatawa said state government had continued to sustain the payment of N6,500 monthly allowances to 6,979 disabled persons at the cost of N45.8 million, while it took interest in the drive to sustain educational quest of children of the needy with the sum of over N1million in the provision of school uniforms, writing materials in collaboration with NGO.
The Commissioner further disclosed that no fewer than 20 mentally retarded persons were treated for various psychiatric problems at the Kware Psychiatric Hospital, Sokoto at the cost of N3 million within the period under review.
Other areas under the ministry, which the state government had also impacted according to Gatawa, are the renovation and rehabilitation of the historic Waziri Junaidu History and Cultural Bureau expected to be completed in few weeks time at the cost of over N60 million in addition
to the rehabilitation of the Kalambaina Children’s Home in Wamakko local government area at a contract sum of N46.7million.
