By Saminu Ibrahim
No fewer than Seven hundred and seventy eight ( 778), orphans from Sokoto State, will benefit from the second phase of the disbursement of grants by the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko has said.
Wamakko, is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence and Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti Corruption at the 9th Senate.
Indeed, IIRO, is an arm of the Muslim World League( MWL), based in Makkah, Saudi Arabia and largely funded by the Saudi Arabian Government.
Wamakko, who is also a Member of the Muslim World League, disclosed this on Sunday, in Sokoto, when he addressed newsmen, shortly after monitoring the ongoing secreening of the second phase of the beneficiaries of the invaluable gesture.
A statement on Sunday signed by Bashir Rabe Mani, Dan Masanin Mani, Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko said.
According to the former Governor of Sokoto State “No fewer than 2,000 orphans were captured in a survey conducted about eleven years. They were to benefit from the gesture, to alleviate their sufferings, as well as enable them to pursue education.
“In all, over 1,180 scaled the screening exercise . Out of the figure, about three hundred orphans had benefitted from the first phase of the disbursements which were successfully done about three months ago.
“Each of the beneficiaries then was given between N250,000 to N400,000. The 774 beneficiaries under the second phase will also get similar amounts .”
Sen. Wamakko further averred that, Islam has placed an obligation on the Muslim to assist the less privileged ones in their midst, especially the orphans.
“The Saudi Arabian Government, through the mechanisms of the League and the IIRO is routinely assisting in myriad of fields, globally, to bolster the growth and development of Islam, as well as humanity.
“They are assisting in various areas like education, water supply , Islamic Da’awah ( propagation ), and other related endeavours ,” the lawmaker, added.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Organization in Sokoto State, Mohammed Bashar Sokoto, explained that, the exercise that commenced on Sunday , August 9, 2020, is expected to last for five days.
According to him, upon the successful completion of the screening exercise, the actual disbursement will commence on or before the end of September 2020.
He stated that, the exercise was being conducted in strict compliance with the directives of the Presidential Taskforce on the raging global Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), Pandemic.
The protocols being implemented against the pandemic include the use of face masks, hand sanitizers, social distancing, while only one local government features a day, to avoid over crowding.
