The Delta State Government has kicked off a statewide revalidation exercise for beneficiaries of its Widows Welfare Scheme, moving to clean up records and tighten the screws on accountability.
The exercise, which began on Monday at the Uvwie Local Government Council Secretariat, is designed to update beneficiaries’ data and ensure transparency in the administration of the programme.
Coordinator of the scheme, Mr. Isioma Okonta, said the exercise became necessary to determine the current status of widows enrolled in the initiative across the state.
Okonta explained that the process would help the government identify beneficiaries who had remarried, gained employment or passed away, while also plugging loopholes that could lead to payments into dormant accounts.
He noted that the welfare initiative, approved by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, officially took off on Aug. 15, 2025, with beneficiaries receiving monthly stipends of N45,000.
According to him, over 10,000 widows spread across the state’s 25 local government areas and 270 wards are currently benefiting from the programme.
Okonta said the initiative underscored the administration’s resolve to extend development beyond bricks and mortar to the welfare of vulnerable residents.
“The governor is touching lives beyond roads, schools and hospitals. Social welfare is important because society is judged by the care it gives to vulnerable people,” he said.
Also speaking, Bishop Felicia Ileleji of God’s Command Ministry urged widows to continue praying for the state’s leadership.
Ileleji said leaders who embrace righteousness and compassion were more likely to place citizens’ welfare at the front burner, adding that godly leadership nurtures peace and progress.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Christina Oke, praised the government for keeping the scheme alive amid biting economic conditions.
Oke, however, appealed for an upward review of the monthly stipend, saying the rising cost of living had continued to squeeze households like a tightening vice.
