Bauchi: How bride sponsored medical outreach with wedding gifts

NAJIB SANI reports how a newly wedded bride gave succour to scores of physically challenged persons by donating wheelchairs and footing all expenses of a medical outreach for indigent sick persons in Wunti community in Bauchi state

Marriage, also called wedlock or matrimony is a socially or ritually recognized union between spouse, (Husband and Wife) who are expected to live together forever and bear children.
History of marriage between a man and woman could be traced to the creation of mankind when the first man Adam and first wife, Eve were made by the Almighty God and sent down to live together on earth for procreation.

Union Bound by Love
The union should be bound by love, care, trust, understanding and empathy among the spouses. God in his wisdom created male and female so that they might become one body and multiply.
Thus, it could be said that every human being cannot fully enjoy life and beget offspring without a spouse or intimate partner. In fact, marriage is not only a source of procreation but it is also a source of comfort, happiness and blessings.
The two sacred books of Qur’an and Holy Bible encouraged their believers to marry in order to get God’s blessings.

Qur’an
“You shall encourage those of you who are single to get married. They may marry the righteous among your male and female servants, If they are poor. God will enrich them from his grace. God is bounteous “.
(Qur’an 24: 32)

Bible
“Haven’t you read, he replied ‘that at the beginning, the creator made them male and female and said ‘ for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate “. (Mathew 19: 4-6).
Marriage is socially acceptable globally and is usually celebrated with feasts and series of events. People save for their weddings because it involves expenses depending on one’s financial status.
It is observed that rich people usually spend substantial amount of money lavishly at their wedding in the society in organising parties and things like that.

Show of Love to Needy
However, a recently wedded bride in Bauchi state, Ayeesha Bala Wunti, daughter of a philanthropist and senior staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Alhaji Bala Wunti, did something differently at her wedding. Instead of wasting all the cash gifts showered on her by her father, his rich friends, relatives, acquaintances and well -wishers running into millions of naira in parties and unnecessary events, she decided to give it back to her society with a view to bringing succour to the needy.
To be precise, she deemed it good to utilize the accumulated resources in sponsoring free medical outreach to 2, 000 patients suffering from various ailments in the Bauchi state capital.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the exercise, two days to her wedding, the bride explained that specialist doctors were hired from India to attend to the patients.

Medical Outreach
According to her, the medical outreach which would last for two days initially targeted 1, 000 sick persons who would be treated free of charge, adding that over 2, 000 were however treated due to the high number of people that turned up to access the medical services.
She stated that Reemee Clinic and the State Specialists Hospital were used for the exercise in view of number of patients who trooped out for the program.
Wunti revealed that she received a lot of cash gifts from relatives, friends and father’s friends, saying the decision to use the money in sponsoring the free medical outreach was due to her compassion for the downtrodden and the fact that her parents provided all the stuffs she needed to carry along to her matrimonial home.
“The gesture was aimed at expressing my gratitude to God for the abundant blessings he bestowed upon me and it’s part of activities celebrating my wedding “. She noted.

Bride’s Father
In his remarks, father of the bride, Alhaji Bala Wunti applauded his daughter for showing sympathy to the less privileged, urging her to keep it up even after marriage.
He also promised to construct a community hospital and primary school at his wunti community in Bauchi where poor residents would access services free of charge.
In an interview with journalists, team leader of the doctors, Dr Simon Hercules, a neurosurgeon said, competent physicians and specialists were brought by the team for the exercise. He added that all types of patients would be attended to during the medical outreach.

Donated 10 Wheelchairs to Cripples
Blueprint reports that the bride had also donated 10 wheelchairs to the cripples that turned up for the program, drugs and wrappers to all the beneficiaries.
Some of the beneficiaries namely Fatima Ahmad and Asma’u Usman expressed appreciation to the bride for the gesture saying it had brought succour to some of them who are ill and unable to come to hospital for treatment due to lack of money.
“Honestly, I never knew the bride, I only got to know of the free medical services on radio. So I came to access it. May Allah reward her bountifully “. Said Asma’u Usman.
Also commenting on the exercise, Mohammed Hassan Chiroma , said instead of wasting colossal amount of money in celebrating wedding ceremonies, the ‘haves’ should be considerate to the plights of the ‘have nots’ by giving them charity.
“This is what we love to hear, rejoicing through putting a smile on the faces of needy not lavish spending in the name of ceremonies. May Allah bless your union and protect you against the danger of unseen “. He prayed.

Special Dinner
Likewise, at the end of the two days free medical outreach, a special dinner was organized by the bride’s family to celebrate the wedding where she also suggested that all the money sprayed on her by the attendants should be collected in a bag and used for charity to orphans saying ‘she had everything she needs’ in her matrimonial home.
Our correspondent reports that the wedding ‘fatihah ‘ which took place at the palace of the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, on Saturday, was graced by dignitaries including the Speaker , Federal House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, Group Managing Director (GMD) NNPC
Mai Kanti Baru, Representative of the Bauchi State Governor and Speaker of the state house of assembly Kawuwa Shehu Damina, Senators, House of Representatives members, commissioners, local government chairmen, top government officials at both federal and state levels, traditional rulers and business moguls within and outside the state.
The Chief Imam of Bauchi central mosque Malam Bala Baban Inna, presided over the wedding rites while other prominent Islamic clerics offered prayers at the occasion.

Bride Price
Malam Baban Inna, announced to the gathering that the groom Mohammed Modibbo, paid the sum of N100, 000 as bride price which is a prerequisite for marriage according to Islamic dictates.
While urging the couple to accord each other his /her rights and carry out their marital responsibilities as ordained by their religion, the Chief Imam prayed for them to have an endless marital bliss.

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