Ma Chidinma Eluwa, a 106-year-old Akara vendor, is supported by the government of Abia State with a monthly stipend.
The Abia State government would also help the centenarian, who is well-liked on the Owerri Road near Isigate area of Umuahia, the capital of Abia, grow her business.
Only one son of Mama Eluwa, who lost her spouse a number of years ago, is still alive.
Nevertheless, she persevered in frying the local specialty for her thronging guests despite the hardships of losing her family.
On July 29, 2023, the governor of Abia State’s chief of staff, Caleb Ajagba, saw the elderly merchant at her store.
The sight of consumers waiting in line to purchase Mama Eluwa’s delicacy drew the attention of the Chief of Staff, who was coming back from an environmental cleanup check on behalf of the governor.
After learning that the elderly woman had been working for Akara for decades, the Chief of Staff immediately penciled down her name for special government involvement after speaking with her.
After returning to the government residence in Umuahia, the Chief of Staff recommended his unique discovery to the Office of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation, which assumed control of the situation after conducting additional research into Mama Eluwa’s background in the Akara frying business.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Ifeoma Thomas, invited Mama Chidinma Eluwa to her office on August 9, 2023, and shared some financial interventions and business sustainability strategies with her.
She was registered on the National Identity Numbers, or NIN, system so that a bank account could be opened for her so that the elderly but tenacious trader could easily deposit his monthly stipends.
While preparations are being made to honor her upcoming birthday and longevity, the Abia State government also aims to help her business grow financially.
Mama Chidinma Eluwa responded and expressed her gratitude to the governor, Alex Otti, his chief of staff, Caleb Ajagba, and the special assistant on vulnerable groups and poverty reduction, Mrs. Ifeoma Thomas, for showing an interest in her.
She claimed that thanks to the help of the Abia State government, she will have additional years to live.
She counseled the young people to avoid crime, prioritize their education, and pick up talents that would improve society.
Speaking also, the Special Assistant to Abia State governor on vulnerable groups and poverty alleviation, Mrs Ifeoma Thomas said,
“We’re going to place her on a monthly stipend and also open a bank account for her. But first of all, we have gotten the Nigerian Identity Management Agency (NIMC) to capture her and her son in the NIMC register, afterwards, we open an account in her name and her brother will be in the custody of the ATM card.
“With that, we will pay her stipend into the account at the end of every month”.