Dangote Meets IDPs, Pledges More Support

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the chairman of the Dangote Group on Sunday promised to mobilize additional support towards assisting victims of the Boko Haram terrorism in the North East.

Dangote stated this shortly after visiting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Dalori and Bakassi in Maiduguri.

He described the situation on the ground as pathetic promising to make contact with partners towards alleviating the problems of the IDPs.

Dangote was accompanied by Mr Paul David-Hewson, a former British pop star and other phillantropists on the trip.

He also promised to offer more financial and moral support to the State Government in its quest to handle the challenges caused by the problem.

Dangote also interacted with some former Boko Haram women who had been de-radicalised

 and promised to lend a helping hand towards their complete rehabilitation.

Also speaking Gov. Kashim Shettima thanked Dangote for the gesture.

He said that the business mogul had provided numerous financial support to the state including the donation of N2 billion cash support and the provision of 106 trucks of food for the feeding of the IDPs during the Ramadan fast.

Shettima announced the renaming of the popular Baga road in Maiduguri after Dangote in appreciation of his gesture. “We are renaming the Baga Road after Alhaji Aliko Dangote in appreciation to his numerous support to the state.

In a related development, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says it  handed over 55,950 bags of rice to Borno State Government for distribution to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri between February and July.

The Media and Public Relations Officer of the agency, Mr Sani Datti on Sunday in Abuja said that the agency had also handed over more than 30,214 bags of maize and other assorted food and non-food items to the state government.

“Also supplied to the state government within the period are 10, 400 bags of beans, 10,135 bags of sugar, 1,000 bags of millet and 1, 200 bags of maize grits.

“Also, 2,100 cartons of tomato paste, 2,100 cartons of maggi cubes; 1,500 bags of salt, 180 bags of flour, 2,400 jerry cans of vegetable oil, and 2,400 jerry cans of palm oil have been supplied.’’

The media officer said that the items were supplied by the Federal Government through NEMA in fulfilment of an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government.

He stated that the last tranch delivery of relief items to the state government was on July 12, when the North East Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Mohammed Kanar handed over 8, 000 bags of rice.

Datti listed others items to include 3,200 bags of beans, 1,000 bags of millet and 1, 200 bags of maize.

He said that the next delivery would be coming up this week, once the supplies were completed.

According to him, the agency has also delivered additional 3,100 bags of rice, 3000 bags of beans, 1,850 bags of Guinea corn, 650 bags of millet and 1,200 bags of rice to the state early this month.

He said that the items delivered were based on request from the state government to augment the regular supplies and were presented and received by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Chairman, Mr Ahmed Satomi.

“Similarly, NEMA has delivered relief materials directly to IDPs in the satellite camps and IDPs camps in Maiduguri, comprising 4,367 bags of rice,  1,330 bags of beans and 1,508 bags of millet.

“Others are 2, 600 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 100 jerrycans of palm oil, 46 cartons of milo beverages, 150 cartons of tomato paste and 1, 850 pieces of nylon mats from March to July, 2016.

“We have also delivered 850 pieces of mattresses, 1, 140 cartons of macaroni noodles, 5, 150 pieces of blankets, 900 pieces of mosquito nets, 1, 358 bags of guinea corn, 100 bags of maize and 390 cartons of Garin danwake.’’

Datti said that in addition to the humanitarian intervention in the state, the agency had also been unwavering in its commitment to the provision of support to IDPs in Yobe, Adamawa and other locations across the country.

He said that the MoU was for NEMA to supply raw food to IDPs, while the state government provided additional condiments and maintained the camp environment.

Datti said that there are presently 113, 398 IDPs living in 13 camps in Maiduguri town and its environs, while the satellite camps have 306,380 IDPs located in 16 liberated communities and towns.

He stated that apart from the coordination role, the agency had been collaborating with other organisations in carrying out medical outreaches to the IDPs in the camps as well as providing medical consumables for camp clinics within Maiduguri.