President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Community Development, Abiodun Essiet, has appealed to stakeholders to cease implementing policies and programmes that exploit vulnerable and economically handicapped people.
Essiet made the appeal in a statement issued in response to Friday’s controversial planned mass wedding of 100 orphaned girls in Niger State, stressing that such programmes increase and recycle poverty as well as deepen ignorance.
According to Essiet, the government wants to ensure that mass marriage is stopped, the children return to school, and the children are captured in the social register.
“The ministry for women’s affairs, under the leadership of Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, is coordinating the interventions from the government to ensure the mass marriage is stopped, the children return back to school, the children are captured in the social register and other federal government intervention programs, and the older orphans are empowered with the necessary skills and financial support to break the cycle of poverty,” Essiet said.
She also noted ongoing efforts to engage religious, traditional, state, and local government institutions in the North Central region.
These engagements, according to her, aim to promote federal plans to eradicate poverty, address insecurity, promote economic development, and achieve sustainable development goals.
“My appeal to all stakeholders is to stop embarking on policies and programs that exploit economically handicapped vulnerable people, increase and recycle poverty, and deepen ignorance,” she added.
“I remain committed to being the voice of the voiceless and protect the rights of the vulnerable people in our society.”
However, the presidential aide requested that people thank her for her work, stating, “I am paid with your taxes.”
