ASUU Donates Food Items To 320 IDPs In Katsina

The Academic Staff of Universities Union (ASUU) has donated food items to about 320 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Katsina State on Sunday. Dr Lawalli Alkali, the association’s national resource person represented its National President, Prof. Victor Emmanuel, at the distribution of the relief materials. He said the gesture was not the first of its kind by the association as it had been a long-standing programme. He said also that the foodstuffs included rice, cooking oil, spaghetti, noodles and seasoning cubes. “ASUU has always identified with vulnerable groups and the most seriously vulnerable Nigerians like the Internally Displaced Persons IDPs. “ASUU regards IDPs as manifestation of a serious problem. “When you see IDPs across the country, it shows that we still have a lot to do on security matters,’’ he said. Alkali appealed to President Bola Tinubu to adopt necessary measures to tackle security challenges in the country to enable IDPs to return to their homes. According to him, ASUU has been monitoring events in Katsina State, and appreciates the commitment of Gov. Dikko Radda on security issues. “We pray that he remains focused to do the needful to ensure that IDPs returned to their homes. And resume their farming and other business activities,’’ he said. Some of the IDPs, mostly women, expressed appreciation of ASUU’s gesture and appealed to the state government and wealthy individuals to also assist. Those who spoke said they were in need of serious assistance, adding that staying in uncompleted buildings was not their desire. They also called on governments at all levels to redouble efforts at tackling security challenges in their communities. 

FG Working On Safe Resettlement Of IDPs, Others, Matawalle Assures UN

The Minister of State for Defence, His Excellency, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle MON, has assured the Representative of the United Nations that the Federal Government is working out modalities to resettle returnees and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria to a safe and better living condition. The Minister gave this assurance when the Representative of United Nations Mines Action Services paid him a courtesy visit on Tuesday, 24th October 2023 in Ship House Abuja.  Matawalle said that Federal Government would partner with UNMAS in working out a workable solution in reintegrating IDPs and farmers into society for better life. “We need to redesign action plan for the IDP returnees and farmers to go back to their farms,” he said.  According to him there was the need for Federal Government to provide essential technical support for the establishment of a national mine action centre in the North East and extend it to North West where incidence of insurgency has increased. “Such centre will afford the IDPs the opportunity to return to their Communities and have access to quality education.” The representative of the United Nations Mines Action Services to Nigeria, Edwin Faigmane, said that the UNMAS is to collaborate with the Nigerian Army to secure success for Mines Action Services Operations in Nigeria.  Furthermore, he stated that there was need to conduct Technical Surveys to identify hazardous areas that need to be safe before any other activities could take place. Edwin commended the Minister for the audience and requested that they count on Government’s support in identifying areas of collaboration.