Zakat - Govt Fights Poverty With N50m

from All Africa

This Day (Lagos)

By Saka Ibrahim
Birmin Kebbi

Kebbi State government has presented N50 million cheque to the state Zakat committee to eradicate poverty in the state.

The government directed that the money should be given to the less privilege in the society.

Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Garba Kamba made the presentation on behalf of the state governor, Alhaji Sa'idu Dakingari, at a dinner organised for the National Co-ordinator of National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), Dr. Magnus Kapkol and the Special Adviser to the President on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Hajiya Amina Ibrahim.

The SSG said the Dakingari administration believed so much in NAPEP and other programmes geared towards the eradication of poverty in the country.

According to him, the Zakat committee should ensure individuals, communities and co-operatives benefit from the money.

Said Kamba: "I am presenting this cheque of N50 million to the Zakat committee on behalf of the state government for the purpose of eradicating poverty in this state. This donation is in fulfillment of the promise of the state Governor, Alhaji Sa 'idu Dakingari".

The SSG therefore, urged the Zakat committee to work with NAPEP and Kebbi State Community Based Poverty Reduction Projects (KBCBPRP).

Speaking, the NAPEP Co-ordinator, Dr. Magnus Kapkol, who later presented the cheque to the Special Adviser on Religious Matters, Alhaji Abubakar Alijenari, commended the state governor Dakingari for fulfilling his promise and tackling poverty in the state.

He said he was impressed with all the projects so far executed by the KBCBPRP in the state which are village oriented projects that will change the life of people living in the rural areas.

On his part, Alijenari, who received the cheque promised that the money would be disbursed to the needy in the state and thanked the state government for the gesture.