Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Catholic women, under the aegis of Ladies of St. Mulumba, Kaduna Metropolitan Council, yesterday, donated building materials and fertilizer to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The items, which included 11 bundles of roofing zinc, five packs of roofing nails and 52 bags of fertilizers, were given to victims of communal unrest in the council return to their ancestral homes this farming season.
Metropolitan Council President, Ladies of St. Mulumba, Lady Esther David Ambason, who presented the items at Angom Adara Multi-purpose Hall, Kajuru, urged leaders of the camp to be sincere in the distribution based on the needs of the beneficiaries.
“We are doing this because one of our core values is taking care of human beings. For women, we carried out this selfless service to sustain humanity because we are mothers.
We are telling people to be their neighbours’ keepers and that is what we are demonstrating.
“Sometimes, the leaders of committees become greedy and that is not good. We expect that whatever relief materials they get should go round based on the need of the people. The relief materials were sought for after taking needs assessment of the people who are predominantly farmers.
“We are encouraging them to go back to their communities and be peaceful with one another. When scriptures asked us to be peaceful with all men, it does not mean we should allow the same thing to repeat itself. It is enough. They should also learn to be peaceful.”
Chairman of Kajuru Relief Materials Committee, John Sokoto, who received the items, said a good number of the IDPs had returned home to continue with their farming activities.
“We thank our mothers for this good gesture. The items shall be distributed equally to our people. Two-third of them have gone back to their communities to avoid their land being taken over by their attackers even though the ruins are yet to be rebuilt.
“Based on building materials we received from churches and other organisations, some of them have been able to put a room together. So they are managing what they have for now after adding their personal money to have a place to sleep.
“Some left their wives here in Mararaban Kajuru because they cannot be cohabiting with their wives and children in just make shift one room apartment.
On the part of the government, government gave us 400 bundles of zinc and 1,600 bags of cement.
The money was taken from Kajuru Local Government account but the items were brought by the state emergency management agency.
“We still need additional building materials to properly put ourselves together. We need zink, cement, nails, planks.”