A member of the House of Representatives representing Yagba East, Yagba West and Mopamuro Federal Constituency of Kogi State, Leke Abejide, has flagged off the distribution of food items and other relief materials valued at about ₦1 billion to widows and vulnerable residents across the 34 wards of his constituency.
The intervention, part of activities to mark the Christmas and New Year celebrations, was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Bashiru Mohammed.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Abejide said the exercise was an annual humanitarian programme aimed at cushioning the effects of economic hardship on widows and vulnerable constituents, noting that the initiative had been sustained for about nine years.
According to him, the distribution will cover all 34 wards and polling units across Yagba Federal Constituency to ensure that residents have access to food items to celebrate the festive season.
“The distribution of food items is my usual gesture. It will reach the 34 wards and all polling units across Yagba Federal Constituency so that our people can celebrate Christmas and the New Year.
“This initiative did not start today; it has been in existence for about nine years,” Abejide said.
Items distributed include 24,000 bags of rice, 10,000 packs of garri, 10,000 pieces of local fabrics, as well as salt, sugar and noodles.
The lawmaker said the initiative was driven by his passion for philanthropy and commitment to showing genuine care for widows, particularly during the festive season, in line with moral and religious teachings.
Beyond the yuletide outreach, Abejide also announced a review of his earlier pledge to support autonomous communities across the constituency.
He recalled that he had previously promised to support each of the 71 autonomous communities with ₦5m but could not fulfil the pledge at the time due to the demands of his governorship ambition.
According to him, the pledge has now been reviewed upward, with a commitment to provide ₦10m each to the 71 autonomous communities to support community-based projects.
“By 2026, all the autonomous communities in Yagba Federal Constituency will benefit. A total of ₦710m will be disbursed to support community development projects,” he said.
Abejide thereafter formally flagged off the distribution exercise and urged officials handling the process to ensure that the items reach all wards and polling units, particularly widows and other deserving beneficiaries.
The development comes barely two days after the senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, distributed similar food items to her constituents in the state as part of Christmas palliatives.
