Borno: Kukawa council organises mass wedding for 10 vulnerable couples
By Ahmed Ahmed
The Chairman of Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno, Mustapha Mohammad Kukawa, has organised a mass wedding for 10 vulnerable couples from Baga and Doro communities.
The initiative is aimed at promoting morality, strengthening family values and preventing social vices among youths in the communities.
This is contained in a statement signed by the chairman and made available to newsmen on Saturday in Maiduguri.
According to the statement, the chairman presided over the Islamic wedding ceremony (Fatiha), sponsored by the local government to support the less-privileged couples.
It said the council provided the necessary requirements for the weddings, including dowries (Sadaki), Waliyyi arrangements, kolanuts, sweets and dues for Islamic clerics.
The statement explained that the initiative was designed to ease the financial burden on vulnerable families and enable the couples to solemnise their marriages in accordance with Islamic injunctions.
It described the exercise as the first phase of the programme, adding that a second batch would follow soon.
The statement noted that the initiative was the first of its kind in recent times in Borno, while acknowledging that similar state-sponsored mass weddings had previously been introduced by the Kano State Government.
It added that the chairman also organised a Walima reception in the evening, which attracted large numbers of community members who celebrated with the newlywed couples.
The parents and relatives of the couples expressed appreciation to the chairman for supporting their children and promoting their dignity.
The ceremony was attended by local government officials, traditional rulers, Islamic scholars, political associates and other community members, who commended the initiative.
