Retired judge seeks special agency for widows

In a bid to address the plight of widows in Nigeria, Retired Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Grace Eisape, has called on the Federal Government to create a specialised ministry or agency solely dedicated to catering to the unique needs and challenges faced by widows in the country.

This move, she insisted, would provide the necessary support and empowerment to improve the lives of widows across the country.

Eisape, Visioner of Feeding All Nations Through Jesus Christ, made the recommendations over the weekend during a one-day prayer walk in the Chika community along the Abuja Airport Road, Abuja, and empowerment of over 200 widows.

She also urged state governments to pay stipends to widows, while efforts should be made to give women access to lawyers that can advocate for them against unreasonable cultural practices.

One of the practices according to her include forcing women to drink the water used to clean the corpses of their husbands to prove their innocence in their deaths.

The event, which also took place in several African nations, South America, and the United States has as its theme “Jesus Christ: Liberating the Vulnerable Globally.”

The retired Judge, who is currently an Educator in the United States of America is also the President of Deborah Generation “The Fire Place, a prayer group in New Jersey, USA, said she was led by the Holy Spirit to the ministry.

She said, “Widows are marginalized, they are not well taken care of, their needs are not met adequately, they hardly receive help from family members.

“It is therefore important that the Federal Government create a special ministry or even an agency to care for the needs of widows.

“We targeted hundreds of widows all over the world. This prayer walk is currently going on in African nations, South America, and in United States of America.

“I advise the state governments to pay stipends to widows, it will go a long way to relieve their suffering.

“We educate women on their rights. For example today, we have legal practitioners in all the locations where this program is holding today to educate women on their rights.

“The government should make provision, give women access to lawyers that can advocate for them against unreasonable cultural practices.”

During the event, Pastor Emmanuel Temitope Williams, the International Coordinator of the organisation, addressed the widows in the Chika community, urging them to remain resilient.

He said, “This program is designed to continuously meet your needs—whether it’s hunger, medical care, or legal rights,” he reassured them.”

Another Coordinator, Ms Mabel Onyia said over 500 widows have benefited from the Feeding All Nations Through Jesus Christ initiative in the FCT.

She said the Prayer Walk Rally was going on in Thirteen states across the country to educate widows on their rights and also provide for their needs.

A legal practitioner Salamatu Yusuf also spoke to the widows, assuring them of their legal protections under Nigerian law.

“There are laws in place to prevent the marginalization of widows, and we are here to ensure those rights are upheld,” Yusuf stated.

The event concluded with the distribution of both cooked meals and raw food items to the widows.