The Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, has donated relief materials to victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital. While presenting the items, Lawan said that the building materials would fast-track the rebuilding and reconstruction process of the
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state and cushion their sufferings. He said that the distribution of the third phase came at the point when the IDPs were consolidating on the peace gained and were gradually returning to their normal life.
His words: “I am pleased to announce today the donation of the following items in the third phase. We have here in Damaturu, the state capital; 22,600 (50kg) bags of rice; 6,465 (20litre) kegs of vegetable oil; 1,833 bales of used clothes and 2,390 pairs of second hand shoes.
“Other items are 3,000 cartoons of spaghetti and 551 cartons of macaroni; 1,099 cartoons of soap and five cartons of new shoes. These relief materials will go a long way to alleviate the plight of the IDPs.
“The improvement in their standards of living is a strong indication that Nigeria is winning the war against the Boko Haram insurgents. We can only pray that peace fully returns to our land.
“I recall that our people have benefited from the presidential directive on distribution of all seized perishable items by the Customs to the IDPs in the first and second phases.”
Lawan commended the Yobe State government for collaborating with the National Logistics Committee (NLC) in ensuring that the handing over was made possible.
He also commended the state government’s effort in paying for the transfer of the items from various Customs warehouses to Damaturu. The committee Chairman, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs,
Abdulkadir Azarema, said that the materials in the third phase would fast-track the ongoing efforts to return the IDPs to their ancestral homes and communities.
His words: “As we begin this third phase of distribution under a more peaceful environment, we hope that this round of relief materials will help boost the ongoing efforts to return IDPs to their homes. It is heart-warming to note that life is gradually returning to normal in the Northeast.
“We (NLC) wish to put on record, our appreciation to all those who ensured that these donations get to the affected people.”
Azarema also commended the Federal and state governments for the opportunity given the committee to serve the people in dire need. The Deputy Governor, Abubakar D. Aliyu, said that 300,000 IDPs had
returned to their communities to pick up their lives. According to him, five heads of communities are present at the hand-over ceremony to collect their share of the materials.
He pledged to immediately distribute the items to the communities and the vulnerable ones in society judiciously. Aliyu commended efforts of Customs and the Federal Government in ensuring that the IDPs living conditions returned to normal. He advocated more support from the Federal Government in other areas of need such as roofing sheets to rebuild the liberated communities in Gujba and Gulani councils.
