- Gifts N48.5m to 19 vulnerable persons
The Abia State Government has increased its concern for vulnerable persons through financial interventions and other measures.
The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, announced this after the State Executive Council meeting held in Umuahia on Monday.
Kanu said the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection has continued to implement the State’s social protection framework by identifying, assessing, and coordinating urgent medical and humanitarian support for vulnerable citizens.
According to him, Governor Alex Otti has continued to demonstrate compassion for this category of people in the State by approving the sum of N48,484,700 as support for 19 vulnerable persons, adding that the sum covers life-saving medical interventions and re-housing assistance.
The commissioner said that between January 2026 and date, the government approved and disbursed the sum of N1.2 billion to 81 vulnerable beneficiaries, and in the process provided life-saving medical interventions, housing support for persons with disabilities, emergency housing assistance for disaster victims, and educational support for indigent students.
Additionally, the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection undertakes routine monitoring engagements with beneficiaries of the interventions to assess the progress on the treatment of sick persons, to ensure effective utilisation of the government support funds.
He disclosed that, as a result of these efforts, a total of N20.9 million in unused funds was repatriated back to the state’s coffers and channeled to support two beneficiaries. He explained that while one of the two beneficiaries passed on, the other settled her obligations
He announced that Governor Otti approved the payment of N450 million counterpart fund to ensure that more women participate in the World Bank Women Empowerment programme, which also necessitated an increase in the number of affinity groups in the State from 3,000 to 6,000, and thus scaled up the participation in six LGAs; namely Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ikwuano, Arochukwu, Bende, and Isiala Ngwa North.
On the commemorations of the 2026 Widows Day themed “Justice, Dignity, and Economic Power for Widows”, and that of “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day” themed “Beyond Awareness: Making Elder Abuse Prevention Work”, the commissioner announced to the journalists that the two will be held at the JAC Building Umuahia from 9 am, on Tuesday, August 4, and Wednesday August 5, respectively.
According to the commissioner, the Widows Day commemoration program will provide direct economic support to vulnerable widows across the state, strengthen household resilience, reduce extreme vulnerability, and promote dignity, inclusion, and economic participation among widows
He said that by this, the state would ultimately demonstrate compassionate and responsive governance while advancing the social protection and women empowerment objectives, indicating that the commemoration exercise will feature empowerment of over 600 indigent widows by the state governor’s wife with special business support grants.
He also gave an update on the state Sexual Assault Referral Centre, reporting that 11 gender-based violence (GBV) cases were dealt with between July and August 2026, and that all the survivors received comprehensive medical, psychosocial, legal, and referral services.
Maintaining that the state will not relent efforts to ensure that all perpetrators of heinous crimes relating to sexual and gender-based violence are brought to justice, the commissioner disclosed that it was consequent upon this that the Centre has strengthened access to justice for the victims, with the arrest of six perpetrators and the prosecution of four others, thus demonstrating continued progress in the government’s response to sexual and gender-based violence.