June 11, (THEWILL) – The Sokoto State Zakat and Endowment Agency (SOZEA) has stated that 3,000 animals, including cows, were provided for Qurbani meat distribution, reaching thousands of vulnerable families across the State.
Alhaji Muhammad Lawal Maidoki, the Chairman of SOZEA, disclosed this during a press conference held in Sokoto on Wednesday.
He said this was carried out in partnership with the Islamic Education Trust (IET) and supported by the Darul Erkam Foundation, Sulaimaniyah, Diversity Turkey, and the Government of Türkiye.
Maidoki noted that the exercise was designed to provide relief to the needy during Eid al-Adha, as part of the charity and sacrifice activities in line with the Islamic and humanitarian service.
“Our aim was to serve our community with dignity and transparency. Thanks to our partners and volunteers, we were able to distribute meat to countless families despite facing major logistical setbacks”, Maidoki explained.
He explained that the agency had projected to slaughter 4,500 animals; however, only just over 3,000 were received, creating a significant shortfall and leaving many would-be beneficiaries unreached.
“We acknowledge this shortfall with deep humility. We apologise sincerely to all those who were not able to receive Qurbani meat.
“We take full responsibility and are already exploring ways to prevent this from happening in future programs.”
He further cited insecurity, high demand, and transportation constraints as some of the challenges that compounded the situation.
The Chairman expressed special appreciation to the State Governor. Ahmad Aliyu, for providing essential logistics and support for the programme.
Maidoki reiterated that the state government did not influence meat distribution, ensuring fairness and public trust.
“We want to clearly exonerate the state government from any role in the selection of beneficiaries. This was entirely managed by SOZEA and its partners in line with our guiding principles”, he said.
He, henceforth, promised to review and strengthen the agency supply chain and distribution frameworks to better meet the needs of the people during future Qurbani seasons.
“This experience has taught us valuable lessons. Going forward, we will enhance our logistics and improve transparency, efficiency, and impact”, Maidoki affirmed.
Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
