NGO Donates Christmas Clothes To IDPs In Yola

By Tom Garba, Yola

An NGO, Positive Awareness Against Drug Abuse Initiative (PADAI), has donated Christmas clothes for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Yola.

Presenting the donation which comprised clothes for women and children in a ceremony at the St Theresa Catholic Church Camp in Yola, the Secretary of the organization, Mallam Abdulkareem Salihu, said the gesture was to ensure that the IDPs were carried along in the festive period.

Salihu said the NGO which made similar donation to IDPs during sallah celebration felt it should extend same during Christmas.

Salihu said the clothes were contribution of members from United States of America for the IDPs.

While re-iterating the commitment of the NGO to continue to contribute to the welfare of the IDPs, Salihu said the NGO was established to fight drug abuse in the society and encourage youths to utilize their energy in nation building.

"PADAI is an organization whose responsibility is to assist in eradicating and reorienting our youths against social vices.

"We believe that if our youths are off drugs, the issue of terrorism will soon be a thing of the past", Salihu said.

Receiving the donation on behalf of the IDPs, the Bishop of Yola Diocese, Most Rev Stephen Mamza, lauded the NGO for the gesture noting that they were the first so far to bring Christmas clothes to IDPs in the camp.

Mamza who said the camp committee would ensure judicious distribution of the clothes to the IDPs, urged other organizations to emulate the gesture to enable the IDPs celebrate the Christmas like other Nigerians.

Also speaking, representatives of the IDPs, Mr Isa Takuma and Mrs Layatu Haruna, commended the NGO and others that have continue to remain their source of support and prayed for speedy end to the insurgency to enable them return to their respective communities.