Member representing Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency, Hon. (Dr.) Anthony Adebayo Adepoju, has provided social support to 1,000 widows in the constituency as part of the events marking his second year in office.
Flagging off the programme amidst praise and applause in Igboora on Thursday, June 26, 2025, Hon. Adepoju said the initiative aims to support a class of people who are hardly recognised in the society despite the psychological trauma and difficulties arising from losing one’s husband.
According to the lawmaker, the initiative is not a one-off effort; the registered widows will have the chance to enjoy a series of economic and social supports throughout his tenure. He added that the social benefits would vary monthly, either through cash, food items or household items.
Speaking at the event, Alhaji Lukman Adeshina representing the Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency Engr. Oluwaseyi Makinde, expressed his love and respect for women. He appreciated Hon. Adepoju for recognising the widows, saying that the initiative is very uncommon.
Also in his address, Hon. (Alh.) Mukaila Majekodunmi Aborode congratulated the widows for having Hon. Adepoju as their representative, saying that many individuals who occupied his current position didn’t even acknowledge that any widow existed anywhere, let alone providing any form of support in the manner that Ibarapakan has demonstrated.
In her own speech, Hon. (Mrs.) Funmilayo Orisadeyi expressed her gratitude to Hon. Adepoju for providing social support to widows in the constituency, as well as commissioning a series of projects that will stand the test of time.
The widows, in their separate remarks, lauded all the efforts of the lawmaker, praying to God to continue to shower His blessings on him.
The Special Adviser to Hon. Adepoju on Women Affairs, Mrs. Abiola-Baderin Shukhrah Olapegba, expressed her gratitude to the widows for their cooperation in all the five communities that the social support programme took place between Thursday, June 26, 2025 and Friday, June 27, 2025. She stressed that the widows’ social support is scheduled to take place every month, emphasising that those whose names did not come out in the first batch should wait for the next batches. She said the registration of new widows to add to the already captured data of widows would also commence later this year to that they can also be incorporated into the social support scheme of the lawmaker. She appreciated Hon. Adepoju for supporting the widows and prayed for the continued success of the federal constituency.
