Three prominent Nigerian philanthropists, Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and the founder of American University of Nigeria (AUN), Atiku Abubakar, have offered succour to the Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Adamawa state.
A statement from the office of Communications and Public Relations of the AUN, Mr. Dan Okereke said that items such as medicines, blankets, vegetable oil, spaghetti, seasonings, salt, sugar, and rice procured by the three caring Nigerians were distributed to the IDPs recently.
The statement said that the items were distributed at various points in the seven local government areas most hit by the Boko Haram insurgency.
The victims of the insurgency, the statement said, offered prayers for the donors, including members of Adamawa Peace Initiative (API). The prayers were offered in both Mosques and Churches.
The statement said that Atiku in particularl, has been a leader in supplying continuous financial support for the IDPs since the involvement of the American University of Nigeria with their feeding more than a year ago.
It said that at the St. Theresa Catholic Cathedral Church, Jimeta, where 15,500 families were served in three distributions, a Muslim woman, Amina Mamman, joined the Bishop of Yola Catholic Diocese, Dr. Stephen Dami Mamza, in leading prayers for peace in Nigeria and in expressing appreciation to those who made the donations to support IDPs in the state.
The statement disclosed that 600 families received food and relief items at the Adamawa State headquarters of Jamatu Nasril Islam, in Jimeta, on December 13, where JNI officials Gambo Jika and Fadimatu Ahmad Marafa offered prayers.
“It was a similar story at the New Life Gospel Center, Demsawo, Deeper Life Camp, and at other centers where volunteers from the American University of Nigeria and Adamawa Peace Initiative distributed the food and relief items donated by Dangote Foundation. IDPs and local officials took turns to thank the donors, the peacemakers, Governor Mohammed Jibrilla of Adamawa State, and the volunteers who had worked tirelessly to alleviate their suffering during the year.”
The statement said that the AUN-API Team supplied food, medicines and relief materials to over 163,500 households through local religious and community-based organizations in the state in December alone.
It said that humanitarian aid was also sent to IDPs who had relocated to their destroyed homes, in the most insurgency-hit areas, through local contacts networking with AUN-API. According to the Coordinator of Relief for AUN-API, Bello Abdullahi, supplies were sent to IDPs in Maiha, Mubi North and South, Hong, Gombi, Michika, and Madagali LGAs through trusted API members working in those areas who ensured effective and accountable distribution of relief materials.
Coordinator of the Madagali distribution and President of Kinjir Foundation, Hon Saleh Kinjir, confirmed that over 552,000 households had received supplies from the Adamawa Peacemakers since the crisis peaked in 2014 through local partners of AUN-API including Kinjir Foundation, JIBWIS, Upper Room Cathedral and the Adamawa Muslim Council.
“The food and medicines sent to IDPs in the seven most affected Local Governments were procured with a N100 million donation which came from oil and gas tycoon, Mohammed Indimi, and which was passed on to API by the Governor of Adamawa State, Mohammed Jibrilla, as well as funds given by former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
“On October 14, an AUN-API team led by Bishop Mamza, Imam Dauda Bello and AUN’s Head of Security, Dr. Lionel Rawlins, dispatched supplies in a military-backed convoy to most of the worst-hit areas accompanied by foreign and local journalists.”
Meanwhile, AUN President, Dr. Margee Ensign, who chairs the API, has said that the organization has initiated numerous programs in the community to benefit both indigenes and IDPs.
“We have the all-year-long ‘Peace Through Sports’ program, two major income-generating projects for community women, and a new literacy program christened ‘Technology Enhanced Learning for All’.”
Under the literacy program funded by the US Government, 20, 000 vulnerable youth, including out-of-school children, displaced children, and those disadvantaged in schools who are not now learning how to read, will benefit.
“It has not been an easy year, or an easy Christmas, in this part of Nigeria,” she concluded. “But there has always been hope, there has always been remarkable generosity, and, as befitting this season, there has always been goodwill.” [myad]
