Kano State Government has spent more than N1.5 billion on its mass wedding programme, covering medical screening, dowries, capital grants, furniture and other support for newly married couples, Gov. Abba Kabir-Yusuf says.
Gov. Yusuf disclosed this during the reception and distribution of furniture and other items to couples at the Kano State Government House. He said the initiative, known as Auren Gata, was designed to support couples as they begin their married lives and promote self-reliance.
The governor said the expenditure included medical screening for all the brides and grooms to safeguard their health and that of their future children.
He said each couple received N100,000 as dowry and an additional N100,000 capital grant to serve as seed money for starting a business.
The government also provided household furniture and essential items, including beds and mattresses, as well as food and other commodities to cushion the effects of economic hardship on the couples during the early stages of their marriages.
Yusuf urged the couples to promote peace, harmony, mutual respect and understanding in their homes. He reminded them that marriage is “an act of worship” and advised them to conduct their matrimonial lives in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, SAW.
The governor said the Auren Gata programme was one of the key campaign promises made by his administration ahead of the 2023 general elections.
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“Let me remind us that the Auren Gata programme was one of the key promises that we made during our campaign across all the 44 local government areas of Kano State ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“Today, we have continued to fulfil that promise. Before this wedding ceremony, all prospective couples underwent a comprehensive screening process.
“This included medical examinations to ascertain their health status, marriage counselling by qualified professionals, and participation in workshops and seminars designed by the Kano State Hisbah Board to prepare them for the responsibilities of married life,” he said.
Yusuf congratulated the couples and urged them to apply the lessons from their counselling sessions as they begin their lives together.
“As you were repeatedly advised during the counselling sessions, I urge you to be patient with one another, to uphold justice and fairness in your homes, to respect one another, and to live together in peace, harmony, and mutual understanding,” he said.
The Chairman of the Northwest Governors’ Forum and Katsina State Governor, Umar Dikko-Radda, commended Yusuf for the initiative, describing it as a programme aimed at improving the welfare and living conditions of Kano residents.
Earlier, prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Abdullahi Bala-Lau, represented by Sheikh Kabir Gombe, said the initiative could help address insecurity and protests involving idle youths.
Dignitaries at the event included Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi and former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, among others.
NAN
