By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The North East Development Commission (NEDC), over the last weekend, distributed relief materials to not fewer than 2,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across Seven communities in the Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State to alleviate their hardships.
The items were distributed to IDPs in Boto and Lere (Tafawa Balewa), Boi and Bungam (Bogoro), as well as Dot, Tsohon Gari, and Wandi (Dass Local Government Area).
During the symbolic presentation of the relief items, which included both food and non-food supplies, the NEDC’s Deputy Director of Resettlement and Early Recovery, Muhammad Sani Umar, outlined the materials distributed.
The items comprised 1,000 bags of 25kg rice, 732 cartons of spaghetti, 180 cartons of cooking oil, approximately 1,500 sets of children’s clothing, 732 pieces of male textile materials, 732 female wrappers, over 730 rubber mats, and 732 blankets.
Muhammad Sani Umar explained that the initiative was in response to a request from the House of Representatives, facilitated by the member representing the area, to provide relief to IDPs in the region.
He noted that the NEDC had recently conducted an assessment and inventory-taking visit to all the affected communities to ensure the effective distribution of the materials.
The member representing the area, Jafaru Gambo Leko, expressed gratitude to God and commended the NEDC and other stakeholders for their consistent support.
He also acknowledged the efforts of donor agencies in assisting the IDPs and pledged to ensure the fair and judicious distribution of the relief materials to the beneficiaries.
The event concluded with the symbolic handover of the materials to the beneficiaries who expressed joy and happiness for the gesture.
In a related development, the NEDC also provided emergency relief materials to the Misau Koskos Orphans Foundation for distribution to orphans and other vulnerable individuals in the area.
While Presenting the items, Muhammad Sani Umar encouraged the formation of community development associations to foster growth and development in the region. He reiterated that the NEDC was established to assist victims of natural and man-made disasters across the six states in the North East zone, which has suffered significant setbacks due to insurgent activities.
The Bauchi State Coordinator of the NEDC, Alhaji Ibrahim Bashir, urged the foundation’s management to ensure fairness and transparency in distributing the materials.
In response, Abubakar Muhammad Gidado, a board member of the foundation, expressed appreciation for the gesture and promised to uphold the trust placed in them.
The relief materials provided to the foundation included 200 bags of 25kg rice, 50 cartons of spaghetti, 50 bags of sugar, 50 cartons of macaroni, 100 gallons of cooking oil, and clothing materials for men, women, and children.