... decries increase in street children

Wife of the Kwara State Governor, Mrs Omolewa Ahmed, has attributed the increasing number of street children in Nigeria, occasioned by poverty to the failure of most men to provide for their families.

She said with available statistics, which reveals that poverty rate is on the high side, the country still has a long way to go in addressing the challenges.

The governor's wife was speaking at the presentation of empowerment tools to women in Ilorin by the state government through the office of the Senior Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation to the Governor, Hajia Sarat Adebayo, to mark the one year administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed

She said, "It is common knowledge that poverty is one of, if not the greatest challenge facing this great nation. Records reveal that 70% of our people live below the poverty line. It is most unfortunate that from this statistics, women are the most affected. This proves that we still have a long way to go in addressing solutions to this challenge".

The governor's wife observed that the situation has become worse because many men are shying away from their responsibilities, leaving the women to fend for themselves and their children. This, she added accounted for the growing number of street children.

"I am therefore delighted that the Kwara state government has risen to the challenge, as demonstrated in today's ocasion", said the Kwara First Lady

Ahmed said her pet project, the LEAH Charity Foundation, had touched so many lives through its various economic empowerment programmes, assuring that she would not relent in complementing government efforts.

In her address, the Special Assistant to the governor on Poverty Alleviation said the state government has provided direct cash support to women with a minimum of N50,000 each to support enterprise and facilitated loans for women on the basis of cooperatives Societies under its micro-credit scheme.

She said the government has also embarked on a social security scheme for aged widows to alleviate their sufferings.

Adebayo, however, admonished the beneficiaries of the programme against selling their empowerment materials but to use them judiciously to better their living.

Items distributed include deep freezers, grinding and sewing machines, hairdressing equipment, barbing clippers and generators.

By Umar Abdulwahab