NIMASA donates relief materials worth millions of naira to IDPs in Borno

By Sadiq Abubakar, The Nigerian Voice, Maiduguri

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has in its determination to contribute it's qouta in alleviating the suferrings of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Northeast donated food and non food items to IDPs in Borno state.

The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakoku Peterside while handing over the items to the Chairperson of the Borno state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajiya Yabawa Kolo in Maiduguri for onward distribution to the IDPs yesterday said ” the items includes rice, millets, corn, beans, detergents, bottle water, pampers, spaghetti making Machines grinding machines, toiletries among others”

The DG who was represented by the Director, Internal Audit of the Agency., Mr. Victor Ike said ” we are here today as part of our cooperate social responsibility to present our widows might to the IDPs in the state . NIMASA is aware of the problems faced by the IDPs as a result of the insurgency in the northeast “.

” This time around, we are here specifically to assist the displaced persons from the fringes of Lake chad region.

"The other time we were at the Gubio camp, we saw some teachers who sacrifices to teach the children of IDPs. NIMASA is working out modalities to see how we can assist them with token allowances to encourage them” Peterside said.

In her remarks, the Chairperson of SEMA, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo said ” this assistance is timely and is coming at a time when we are trying to bring back over 120,000 refugees from Niger Republic, 95,000 from Cameroon Republic and 12,000 from Chad Republic. We also have IDPs in Kala Balge that are in dare need of assistance."

"Out of the 1.8 million IDPs in the Northeast, 1.6 are from.Borno . Although Governor Babagana Zulum is always moving up and down to carter for the IDPs . But Borno State Government cannot do it alone. I therefore call on cooperate organisations, NGOs, agencies and individuals to emulate NIMASA”, Yabawa said.

While appreciating the gesture, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo assured that the items will be judiciously distributed to the IDPs, noting that the other time they were in remote town of Kala-Balge, they distributed cash of N15,000 and N10,000 to male and female IDPs respectively.

It could be recalled that this is not the first time NIMASA is donating food and non food items for the IDPs in Borno state. They made similar donation to Gubio IDPs at Gubio Road IDPs Camp Maiduguri.