Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has distributed food items to lepers in Abaji, Kuje and Gwagwalada area councils as part of efforts to fight hunger among vulnerable residents.
The mandate secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat, FCTA, Mrs Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, during the distribution exercise in Abaji area council, explained that the gesture was under the Renewed Hope Initiative of the first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Benjamins-Laniyi explained that the food items included rice, indomie, macaroni, semovita, couscous, and spaghetti among other items, being distributed to lepers would be extended to other vulnerable groups.
She identified the vulnerable groups to include women, youths, and widows across the six area council of the FCT.
The mandate secretary while presenting the food items to the leprosy colony in Yangoji, Abaji area council said that the initiative was designed to achieve zero hunger among vulnerable groups in FCT.
“This is a special intervention from the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady, aimed at putting food on the tables of the poor and vulnerable in communities.
“FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike and the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud are working with the office of the First Lady, to ensure availability of food in rural areas,” she said.
She assured residents of government commitment to end their suffering, particularly through increasing access to staple food.
The leader of the Leprosy Colony, Mr Ali Isa, thanked FCTA and the first lady for the gesture, which he described as lifesaving.
“We are very happy today. I have seen the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and the Renewed Hope Initiative of the first lady in action,” he said.
The woman leader of the colony, Hajiya Sadiya Abubukar, who equally commended the gesture, said that the move was a demonstration of the government commitment to meet the needs of the poor.
The food items were also distributed to youths, widows and other poor and vulnerable at Kulo and Iddo Sarki communities in Kuje and Gwagwalada area councils respectively.
So far, more than 1,000 lepers, poor and vulnerable women, youths, and widows have received the food items.
