By OKECHUKWU PEACE
Determined to put smiles on the faces of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North Eastern part of the country during the on-going Ramadan, the Dangote Foundation has commenced the distribution of food items and other relief materials in Borno State.
Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, who flagged off the exercise in Maiduguri was full of praises for Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of the Foundation for his spirit of human kindness and for particularly picking interest in the condition of the IDPs who are mostly victims of Boko Haram insurgency.
It would be recalled that Aliko Dangote in his recent fact-finding tour of IDPs’ camps in the North-East donated a sum of N2 billion for the sustenance of the IDPs and further promised to feed them during the Ramadan.
While presenting the relief materials at Bakassi IDPs Camp to about 1,572 households made up of displaced people from Guzaumala local government area, Governor Shettima lauded Dangote Foundation for the kind gesture and said that words are not enough to adequately convey the gratitude of the people of Borno for the love shown to them by the Foundation.
He said, “In this time of very serious challenges, Aliko Dangote choose to stand with people that are less privileged, the internally displaced persons thereby depicting his love for the common man.
“We remain eternally indebted to his foundation for the show of support in this trying period of our states and we will ensure that the N2 billion donation he made to the state is judiciously used in the area of health care, education and resettlement of IDPs.”
The Governor also prayed for the return of enduring peace to Borno, Northeast and Nigeria at large.
Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), Engr Satomi Ahmed in his remarks applauded Dangote for his “passion for the less privileged and commitment to economic growth and development of Nigeria.”
Speaking at the flag off, Aliko Dangote represented by Chief Executive Officer of the Dangote Foundation, Zouera Youssoufou said the Foundation was coming with 106 trucks to feed about 30,000 households while 43 trucks had arrived. Items distributed include: rice, Sugar, Spaghetti, Noodles, Seasoning and Salt.
In 2015, the Dangote Foundation in continuation of its micro-grant scheme for vulnerable women in Nigeria had given out N400 million to women in all the local government and development areas in the state.
The grant is to help the women engage in petty sales and trading in the face economic challenges that has affected the capacity of the governments at all levels to create enough jobs for the citizenry.
