Top Nollywood actress and philanthropists Tonto Dikeh,
has donated food items and other relief materials, including money to
inmates during a goodwill visit to Suleja Prisons in Niger State.
The
actress in a chat with NAN mentioned that the gesture on Tuesday was an
initiative of the Tonto Dike Foundation(TDF), geared towards
identifying with the inmates in celebrating the 2018 Democracy Day.
According
to her, the Foundation, which is her humanitarian initiative, empowers
and provides succour to the less privileged and vulnerable Nigerians.
“In line with our vision, I have come here to let the inmates know
that we are not giving up on them, and that they have a bright future
ahead outside of this place.
“They still have a lot to contribute to the society irrespective of their present circumstances,” she said.
The
items handed over to the prison authority on behalf of the inmates by
the foundation include bags of rice, detergents and other food items, as
well as physical cash of N300,000.
Tonto Dikeh donates relief items to Prison inmates lailasnews
Tonto
Dike also paid for the release of an inmate who has remained in
detention because he was unable to provide the said bail term.
Besides,
on request by the inmates, she promised to provide Television set and a
decoder and ceiling fans for the Christian’s hall of worship in the
prison, as well as sewing machines for the inmates.
The foundation also donated dozens of sanitary pads to the female inmates for proper menstrual health management.
Volunteer
medical and public health experts of the Tonto Dikeh Foundation had
interactive sessions with them, where they were given opportunities to
ask questions on female health.
The female inmates were thought how to use pads and dispose them, wash their body, and handle menstrual pains.
Mr
Baba Ibrahim, Deputy Controller (DCP) of the Suleja Prison , who
received the items on behalf of the inmates, commended Tonto Dikeh and
her foundation for the benevolence.
He, however urged other
Nigerians of goodwill and NGOs to emulate the kind gesture to complement
government’s effort in taking care of prisoners.
“The welfare of
prisoners is of paramount importance to government, and every effort by
organisations and kind hearted individuals will assist greatly in
achieving that aim.