The First Lady of Rivers State, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, has presented cash and 2,400 bags of rice to the poor, vulnerable and physically challenged people in the state’s 23 Local Government Areas.
During the presentation of the cash and rice at Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Lady Fubara said the gesture is part of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Food Security Programme (FSP) initiated by the wife of the President of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
She explained that through the RHI, Senator Tinubu collaborates with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to bring succour to Nigerians who are experiencing excruciating economic conditions.
The Rivers First Lady warned that the gift of bags of rice and the accompanying cash should not be used for what she described as: “something to use to make friendship or make family relative happy”.
She charged those who represented their various local government areas to receive their donations with a heart of gratitude and ensure they resisted the temptation of truncating the purpose that had been clearly stated.
She said: “The reason why we are gathered here is, that our mother, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, presented to every state of the Federation a gift of 25kg bags of rice.
“For Rivers State, we received a total of 2,400 bags of 25kg rice. So, we say a big thank you to our mother.
“And, as part of our own little way, the Rivers State Government also has attached cash to the bags of rice that will be distributed to the 23 Local Government Areas, including the National Council for Women Society (NCWS) and non-indigenes.
“Every LGA is going home with 90 bags of rice each. I believe that every LGA is represented here.
“And please, I want to plead with you, when you take it to the LGAs, ensure that it gets to the right people that it is supposed to get to: the vulnerable, the physically challenged, less-privileged people. You know those that really need these bags of rice.”
In her remarks, the Rivers State President of the National Council of Women Society (NCWS), Mrs Jetiba Soberekon, who received on behalf of her association, said they were happy that women are carried along with the scheme.
She assured them that what they received would be strictly distributed to the less-privileged and vulnerable among them to give them a lease of life.
The bags of rice and cash gifts were also distributed to the Motherless Babies’ Home, Borokiri; Cheshire Home, Port Harcourt Township; and Home for the Elderly, Harbour Road; all in Port Harcourt