Dangote Foundation (DF) has donated relief materials worth several millions of naira to needy Muslim faithful in Ebonyi State for the 2019 Ramadan feeding programme.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items were distributed to no fewer than 500 beneficiaries on Monday in Abakaliki.
The relief items include: 250 cartons of pastas; 500 bags of 1 kilogramme each of salt, 500 bags of 1 kilogramme each of sugar, 500 bags of 5 kilogramme each of Semolina and 250 bags of 10 kilogramme each of wheat.
Mr Ndagi Ahmed, the field officer of the foundation, supervised the distribution.
He said that the feeding programme was an initiative designed to help and encourage needy Muslims to take part in the Ramadan.
“The gesture is in fulfillment of a part of the teachings of Islam which encourages helping the poor and the less privileged in the society by the wealthy Muslims.
“Ramadan fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and also one of the commandments of Allah. And every Muslim is encouraged to fast.
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“And in this month of fasting, we encourage the needy and the poor among us to fast and we provide them with relief materials in form of food items to break their fast.
“I am happy that the entire exercise was successful and that those who deserved to receive the materials were those that collected the materials.
“You can see how happy the beneficiaries are; and whosoever receives this, prays warmly for the continuous success and progress of Dangote and the foundation.
“They look forward to receiving more in the years to come, “Ahmed said.
Earlier, Dr. Haroun Aja, the chairman of the Da’wah and Guidance Bureau of Nigeria (DGBN) and the leader of the Muslim community in Ebonyi State, commended the foundation for donating to the Ramadam feeding programme of Muslims in Ebonyi.
He said that the month of Ramadan was a holy month of fasting when every Muslim was charged to fast in order to demonstrate his or her sincerity and commitment to God.
He said that besides the ‘sadaqat’ was for the poor, the wealthy Muslims were expected in this month to consider the have-nots and the less privileged in terms of their wealth.
“It is provided in the Qu’ran that if you can feed a person that is fasting out of your own, you will have equal reward like the reward due to the person who is fasting.
“So, in this dispensation, so many Muslims get involved and we have established what we called ‘Ramadan feeding programme’.
“This is the Ebonyi Ramadan feeding programme sponsored by the Dangote Foundation,” Aja said.
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He said that the foundation had for the past five years donated to the Ebonyi Ramadan feeding programme.
“Dangote Foundation has been donating to the Ramadan feeding programme willingly and uncompelled and has recognised that Ebonyi among other states in the Southeast should benefit from the foundation’s gesture this year.
“The materials delivered to us will be distributed among the various segments of Muslim communities in Ebonyi ,” he added.
NAN reports that beneficiaries were drawn from the Muslim communities in Enohia, Itim and Oziza all in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
Others include Muslims from Onueke in Ezza South, Ezzamgbo in Ohaukwu Local Government area, Nkwegu Military Cantonment, Yoruba and Hausa Muslim communities, prison inmates among others.
Messrs Zubiru Mohammed and Umar Mohammed on behalf of the beneficiaries, appreciated Dangote Foundation for the donation and prayed God to grant him more success, progress and good health. (NAN)
