From Steve Oko, Umuahia
Widows have been advised to rather send their children to community schools than give them away to human traffickers who come under the pretense that they would train them in better schools in the city.
Member representing Isuikwuato / Umunneochi federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha who gave the counsel while giving out some empowerment items to widows in her constituency bemoaned the fate of many children given away to people in the city.
She regretted that most times people who pick children from poor families especially widows under the guise of giving them better education in the cities end up converting them into slaves who are subjected into all manners of inhumane treatments including child labour.
The House Deputy Chief Whip therefore, argued that it was better widows and the indigents stay together with their children in the villages than take any action that could jeopardise the future of the innocent children.
” It’s better you stay with your children and send them to community schools where they will be safe than give them away to those who will turn them to slaves in township.
“Some of us also attended village schools despite their obvious challenges and today those who were trained in private schools in the city are not better than we”, she boasted.
The lawmaker also advised widows against resorting to ungodly conducts and amorous advances by evil men for survival, saying such sharp practices are very risky.
She charged widows to always look unto God for sustenance, assuring them that if they do not resort to unholy ways for survival, “the God of the widow will not forsake them.”
The former House Committee on Aviation distributed empowerment items including small bag of rice, wrapper and cash to each of the widows from all political wards in her constituency.
Onyejeocha during the annual programme, also gave out other empowerment items including sewing machines, grinders, freezers and motorcycles worth millions of Naira to her constituents including members of her support groups.
She explained that the essence of the empowerment was to make her constituents self reliant and to prevent them from selling their votes for financial gains during elections.
Onyejeocha enumerated some of her achievements in the current legislative year to include attracting the on-going construction and asphalting of 11.5 kilometre Obilo – Nneato Road, Amiyi -Amigbo Road, securing job opportunities for many of her constituents in some federal establishments, renovation of schools and supply of school desks among others.
She promised that the constituency would witness more developments and federal projects in the years ahead.
Traditional rulers and clergy men were not left out in the empowerment programme which was massively attended by people from communities across the constituency.
In theirs separate speeches on behalf of the beneficiaries, the President Generals of Umuanyi Autonomous Community Uturu, Chief Celestine Orji; Daberechi Ogbuagu of Ndiawa Isuochi ; and High Chief Solomon Ihewu of Nneato, poured encomiums on the lawmaker for the gesture.
They described her as an exception legislator who had distinguished herself both in terms of quality representation and human empowerment.
The PGs pledged the unflinching support of the entire constituency for the four – term lawmaker in any political office of her dream in future.
