A Kaduna based agribusiness firm, Agrolog Ltd on Saturday donated foodstuffs worth N20m to Internally Displaced Persons across local government areas hit by banditry attacks in Southern Kaduna.
The councils worse hit in the series of attacks are Chikun, Kajuru, Zango-Kataf, Kajuru, Jema’a and a host of others.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Agrolog, Dr. Manzo Maigari, said the donations were part of the corporate responsibility of the firm principally registered to boost ginger and other agricultural produce, to its host communities.
Maigari, accompanied by his wife, Juliana, the National President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, Hon. Jonathan Asake, visited an IDPs camp located at the Ungwan Zawu in Chikun LGA along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway where they distributed the foodstuffs to the distressed victims.
This is just as the SOKAPU boss told The PUNCH in a chat that 15 of such camps were spread across the Southern Kaduna Senatorial Zone with an estimated 70,000 internally displaced persons.
Maigari, a former Commissioner of Agriculture under the Nasir El-Rufai’s administration while briefing newsmen, said the foodstuffs donated include maize, rice, Maggi cubes, toothpaste, salt, detergent, soaps amongst others, and that it was meant for at least 10,000 victims of bandits attacks.
According to him, about N2 million is also set aside for the IDPs medicare, noting that the donations are extended to both Muslims and Christians in the various camps, cut in the web of the series of attacks by bandits in Southern Kaduna.
He said, “It is with great pleasure that I stand to address you today as Agrolog Ltd, an agribusiness company that has its focus on the ginger value chain.
“The major reason for us being here today is because we as a company have decided to give back to the very people that we work with. The communities where we play as a company.
“This is basically a social responsibility that aims to support government’s effort as well as good spirited individuals who have always been there for some of our brothers who have fallen victims for this banditry attacks.
“Of course, we are small company and we can only play in a limited geography. We all know that this is a nationwide challenge (insecurity) that calls for support from all good-spirited corporate citizens as well as individuals to support those who have fallen as victims. We have mobilized items for the immediate needs of those that have been displaced by these banditry attacks.
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“Behind us, you can see packages that contain maize flours, beans, rice, palm oil, salt, Maggi, pomade, toothpaste, sanitary pads and other things. The whole package is aimed at touching 10,000 farmers across from Chikun down straight up to Kaura LGAs.
“It’s a widow might. Our budget for this is N20 million and most of it is coming in kinds as products that we are packaging here. But our engagements with stakeholders in the field also shows that people required medical support.”
The former commissioner also called on other corporate organization, good-spirited individuals to come to the aid of the displaced victims as according to him, “We understand clearly that government cannot do everything.”
Meanwhile, the SOKAPU President told The PUNCH that no fewer than 70,000 displaced peoples are currently in the various IDPs camps in Southern Kaduna and were in dire need of succour.
Asake, therefore, appealed to corporate organizations as well as good spirited individuals to emulate Agrolog and extend the hands of support to those (victims) forced out of their habitats as a result of banditry attacks on them.
He said, “I am overwhelmed. I lack words to express my happiness. I thank all the partners for providing these items to our people who are suffering because of banditry attacks.
“Some of the displaced persons are not in official camps. We have camps in Chikun, Zonkwa, Kafanchan and other areas in neighbouring communities. We have over 15 camps in this zone. We can only estimate the displaced people at about 70,000 spread across the camps and some in relations houses in neighbouring communities.”
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