3,000 applicants screened for Gombe mass wedding

The Committee on Mass Wedding in Gombe State on Tuesday said it had commenced screening of 3,000 applicants for the second batch of the exercise.

Publicity Secretary of the Committee and Senior District Head of Gombe, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abubakar, disclose this in an interview with the News Agency in Gombe.

Abubakar said the committee, which had different sub-committees, was mandated to screen applicants for pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis, among other cases.

He commended the state government for introducing the programme, which was meant to assist the less privileged to get married.

According to him, the scheme will reduce the spread HIV/AIDS in the state.

He said the committee had consulted traditional rulers and other stakeholders to ensure success of the exercise.

The sopkesman said application forms for the programme had been distributed to 11 local government areas of the state as it was done in the first batch of the initiative.

He said successful applicants would be provided with dowry, foodstuff, clothing, furniture and kitchen utencils.

NAN reports that 720 couples were married out across the state under the first batch of the programme in April.

They include 612 Muslim divorcees (Zawarawa), 76 Muslim Spinsters and 32 non-Muslims.