The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA has donated relief items to Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in Cross River State in Southern Nigeria.
Items donated included grinding machines, generators, tricycles and food stuff of all kinds.
The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashie Jamoh donated the items to the Cross River State Government through the deputy governor, Professor Ivara Esu.
Jamoh, who was represented by the Communication and Strategy Officer, Ubong Essien said the donations were part of the agency’s corporate social responsibility.
Alleviating sufferings
He expressed the hope that the items would alleviate the hardship experienced by the IDPs and enable capable ones establish micro businesses for better living standard.
“These items donated are part of our corporate social responsibility. We sympathize with the displaced persons and hope these will go a long way to cushion the effect of the sufferings.
“We also believe that these relief materials would help them to become self-reliant and by so doing, eradicate poverty gradually in the society,” the DG noted.
The representative of the deputy governor, Dr. Betta Edu appreciated the agency for the donations, which she assured would be equitably distributed.
Edu, who is the Commissioner for Health commended the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari for supporting internally displaced people across the country.
She said, “we gratefully accept all these items that vary from food items to some empowerment equipment and machines as well as Keke NAPEP for small scale enterprises. This is providing livelihood for the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the state.
“We thank Mr. President for this gesture and appreciate the Director General’s efforts in supporting IDPs in Cross River state and we guarantee that these items will reach the designated people as planned,” Edu said.
End Violence
She hinted that the items would be properly audited and disbursed to ensure accountability and advised communities against incessant communal wars, which leads to destruction of lives and property.
“We are calling for an end to violence and other causes of displacement in warring communities. It is time for people; learn to live in harmony and avoid anything that would create more internally displaced people in Cross River State.
“It is high time we understand that engaging in wars would perpetually set us backward while other states in Nigeria and other peaceful communities are moving forward trying to catch up on development, warring communities are setting themselves 20 years backward. These fights need to stop,” Edu stressed.
Earlier, the Director General of Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA), Princewill Ayim stated that the agency is mandated to donate and provide empowerment items to displaced Nigerians.
Ayim stated, “you will agree with me that the State Government under the leadership of Senator Ben Ayade has domesticated empowerment and entrenched it to becoming a standard practice and this has been integrated into the agency’s mandate and so the need to invest in communities all over Cross River.”
A representative of IDPs, Ene Okon expressed appreciation to NIMASA and the Nigerian Government for coming to the rescue and urged the agency to donate more items to the people.
Some of the items were distributed to the displaced persons present at the venue of the event, while the deputy governor’s representative directed SEMA to take the remaining materials to the different IDP camps.
Dominica Nwabufo
