MINISTER DONATES RELIEF MATERIALS TO BOKO HARAM VICTIMS

Minister of State for Power, Hon Mohammed Wakil has donated and distributed food items and other relief materials to victims of Boko Haram who were displaced from their communities in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno state and now taking refuge in various camps in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Hon. Mohammed Wakil who had engaged the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) for collaboration with the agency on intervention programmes to cushion effect of the insurgency in the state, also recently visited Biu local government area where he presented relief materials to over 6,000 Boko Haram victims who fled from Damboa on behalf of the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

Items donated include 100 bags of grains, 200 cartoons of indomie, 80 cartoons of omo, 600 pieces of blankets, 600 pieces of plastic plates, 750 bundles of women and men clothing materials and 2,000 pieces of plastic buckets.

The Relief materials which were personally procured by the Minister were distributed in Maiduguri to the victim's resident at Alhaji Kaumi Damboa, Jiddari Polo, NYSC camp, school of nursing, Indimi Mosque, NTA Majalisa and to those talking refuge at Babagana Dawa and Mallam Wakil Korede's house.

Speaking at the occasion, Alhaji Lawal Kolo Gumsuri, Special Assistant (Political) to the Honourable Minister said, "It is very disheartnening to see people who are able bodied breadwinners as refugees, but I want you to regard this misfortune as destined by God.

"You should take solace because in everything, there is a time which normalcy shall return and you will be able to go back to your houses".

Alhaji Lawn Kolo Gumsuri also called on the Federal and state governments to give whatever assistance they can to the people so that they could go and rebuild their houses.

"I am calling on the government to give the people the needed assistance directly to the victims so they could go and rebuild their houses to their own taste, instead of constituting a committee that may end up doing a shoddy job". He said.

"Government" he said, "should provide the people of Damboa with earth dams as a lasting solution to their shortage of drinking water problem for both livestock and human consumption".