KANO state government hosted a mass wedding ceremony for 250 women made up of single girls, widows and divorcees on Saturday, as part of a program aimed at improving the social fabric of the mostly Muslim northern society.
The event marks the second of same held under the auspices of the Hisbah Board, a government-sponsored agency put together by the previous administration of Governor Ibrahim Shekarau to stem the tide of challenges faced in Kano, from crime to general social malaise in the society.
At the ceremony attended by Mrs. Amina Sambo, wife of Vice President Namadi Sambo, each of the 100 widows and 150 girls received a dowry of N10,000 along with basic needs as kitchen utensils, and beds and linen. Also given to the new wives were two mobile phones each, provided with SIM cards courtesy of Airtel mobile company.
A highlight of the event, which was held at the Kano Central Mosque was the marriage between an 82-year man and his 70-year old bride
An 82 year old Malam Uba Abdul-Rahman who was among the new couples and spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked the state government for the support given to them and said that he was happy for finding a 70-year old partner to spend the rest of his life with after the demise of his wife.
In her speech, Vice President’s wife, Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo charged the new couples to respect the institution of marriage and live peacefully with their partners. She later donated 130 sewing machines for onward distribution to the new couples.
Prior to the wedding fatiha, a counselling session was organized for the couples at the Government House and were later provided with gifts donated by individuals and corporate bodies.
The State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in his speech said that government would continue to provide support to un-married men and women in order to minimise social problem in the state.