Kebbi govt to sponsor mass weddings for 300 couples; offers N250,000 dowry to each grooms

The Kebbi State Government has concluded plans to sponsor 300 couples in the a mass wedding. 
This is the state’s third edition of the mass wedding initiative. 
Chairman of the Mass Wedding Committee, Alhaji Suleiman Muhammad Argungu, disclosed this on Tuesday, July 14, while briefing journalists in Birnin Kebbi. 
He said the beneficiaries were selected from the state’s 21 local government areas and 225 wards following a screening process. 
Argungu said the programme, organised by the state government in partnership with the foundation of the governor’s wife, is open to all eligible indigenes, regardless of ethnic or religious background. 
He said each groom would receive N250,000 as dowry in line with Islamic law, while all intending couples would undergo compulsory medical screening to determine their health status and compatibility. 
He added that local government committees have also been directed to verify that each groom has a reliable source of income to support his family. 
The wedding ceremony will take place in Birnin Kebbi in the presence of Governor Nasir Idris, Islamic clerics and other dignitaries. 
Argungu said the governor’s wife’s NANAS Foundation would provide beds, mattresses, food items and other household essentials to help the couples begin married life. 
He added that a monitoring committee had been set up to monitor the welfare of the couples after the wedding and ensure the proper use of the items provided.