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By Madu Obi
The wife of the governor of Anambra State, Mrs. Nonye Soludo has described public - private partnership as key to the holistic development of the state.
Speaking during the empowerment and health outreach programme organized for about 8000 widows at Nnobi, Idemili South local government area of the state by a businessman and philanthropist, Dr Ebuka Okafor, the governor's wife observed that hunger in the country could be overcome if every well to do person assists the poor in his area.
At the event, the widows from all the 21 local government areas of the state, were given free medical care, in addition to collecting bags of rice, beans, garri, vegetable oil, packets of noodles and wrappers.
According to Mrs Soludo, it was to ensure that no part of the state was left behind that informed the decision of the state government to initiate Public Private Community Partnership, PPCP, which enables the rich people in the society to partner with the state government in providing the necessary infrastructure and social amenities in the various communities.
She said: "What Dr. Ebuka Okafor is doing is what the Anambra State government preaches. What he has been doing over the years is something that should be emulated by every wealthy Anambra person.
"The present administration in the state is doing its best to meet the yearnings of the people, but it cannot do everything, which is why we commend Ebuka Okafor for this initiative."
In his speech, Okafor said his Foundation has been carrying out the programme for 11 years, adding that it is part of his decision to give back to the society that raised him.
He said: "What we are doing is the continuation of the Christmas outreach we have been doing over the years. We have over 8000 widows our Foundation is taking care of. These women gather 1st Friday of every month to pray for us which gladdens our hearts and we have their contacts and medical history."
"We take care of their children by offering them scholarships and empowering those that are into businesses."
" The most important thing we are doing for them is the free healthcare programme, under which those who have medical complications are referred to secondary health institutions at the Foundation's expense."
"Most of the these widows have nobody to take care of them and are very poor. We discovered that many of them have developed high blood pressure and diabetes and we have, therefore, taken it upon ourselves to reverse such health conditions among them."
Okafor lamented that there is so much hunger in the society, which, according to him, is contributing to the insecurity in the state and assured that it could be reduced through the kind of assistance his Foundation is rendering.
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