The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • Health insurance for Abaji residents

    As part of its efforts to provide affordable healthcare delivery for the people, The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Community Based Health Insurance Scheme (CBHIS) has flagged off Health Insurance Scheme at Yaba Community in Abaji Area Council of the FCT.

    While flagging off the health insurance scheme and presentation of health insurance cards to registered residents of the community, the Co-ordinator of the scheme, Dr Grace Aganaba, advised them to avail themselves of the opportunity of the scheme to stay healthy at all times, so that they can contribute to the development of the community and entire council.

    According to Dr Aganaba, the FCT Administration, through the Minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, has recognised the importance of healthcare delivery and therefore mandated that by 2015, every Nigerian must have a health insurance card, adding that it informed CBHIS taking it as a priority to ensure that every resident in communities of the FCT should have the health insurance card.

    “I must commend the motherly role of the FCT Minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinkide, who has never relented in supporting this course, because of the importance she placed on health of people in the rural communities. We believe that, through this health insurance scheme, people in rural communities will live more healthy and improved lifestyle,” she said.

    Mrs Theresa Adah, Programme Officer Community Health, Christian Aid Nigeria, said it has been a common fact that many Nigerians, especially the rural dwellers, lack access to healthcare delivery because of lack of fund, saying that was the reason the community health insurance is the way forward for the people.

    “Whenever any one is sick, he or she can have access to healthcare at a very low cost. Today, we are happy the FCTA has made community-based insurance possible in our communities. We are committed to supporting any organisation that wants to replicate this scheme in any community across the country.

    “So, I urge any one that has not registered to do so and benefit from this affordable healthcare,” she said.

    Hajiya Zenab Mamam, in charge of Yaba Health Centre who explained that the health centre was inaugurated in January last year, said immediately the facility started functioning, most of the ceilings and the roofs started falling off.

    “When it rains, the entire clinic would be flooded. All the patients would stand up and sit on their beds, pending the time the rain stops. We also do not have electricity. When there is emergency in the health centre at night, we use lantern which is not ideal and safe. If we have electricity generating set, it would be better. We need the intervention of the FCTA in this regard,” she said.

  • Save my son, pleads widow

    A widow, Mrs. Lami Onoja has pleaded with well- meaning Nigerians to help her financially so that she will be able to foot the bill for her son’s treatment.

    The widow, who lives at Area 8, Block 62, Nyanya, Abuja, stated that her 16-year-old son, Hamza Onoja has suffered kidney problem for two years.

    Onoja said she has no money to foot the bill. She therefore pleaded with government, public-spirited individuals and corporate organisations for financial assistance so that her son will not die.

    Mrs. Onoja, who said her husband died about five years ago, added that all relations have deserted her and her two children.

    “Life has not been easy for me and my two children since my husband died about five years ago. We have nobody to assist us and all our relations have distanced themselves from us.

    “We have been feeding from hand to mouth because I don’t have anything doing. I need a job to assist my family. We were told at Nyanya General Hospital about two years ago that my son has kidney problem and we need a huge amount of money to treat him.

    “The hospital later referred us to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada where we were asked to pay the sum of N 43, 700 just to carry out a test,’’ she said.

    Mrs. Onoja further stated that she has been able to raise N30, 000, hence the appeal with the public to assist her.

    “He is my only hope. I do not want him to die. Please help us. I am also ready to do any job to keep the family going; even if it means sweeping the streets to enable me to feed my family,” she said.

  • Rotary cash for women

    The Rotary Club of Asokoro has empowered women in Wumba Community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This it did by disbursing cash to them to help them start up a trade.

    Speaking during the event, the club’s secretary, Francis Bekey stated that the club embarked on the project because of its belief that sharing with and empowering the less-privileged ones will go a long way in reducing the level of poverty among the people.

    Bekey further revealed that the Rotary Club of Asokoro has outstanding record of empowering women in the FCT, adding that the focus of the club was economic development, especially for women and the indigent people in the society.

    “This micro-finance scheme will encourage the women to expand their businesses and contribute not only to the well-being of their families but also to the society,” she said.

    Bekey, who is the Coordinator of the micro-finance scheme, advised the women to use the money given to them wisely to ensure that they don’t disappoint the club.

    “The micro-finance scheme started with 30 members and has grown to over 100 in the FCT. Our concern is to empower women because we believe that empowering a woman translates to empowering a nation,” she said.

    She further stated that women were the targets because they are the vanguard of everything move towards development of the home and managers of families.

    Also speaking, the Director of International Service of the club, Nikky Uchime said the micro- finance scheme by the club is a programme designed to empower women in order to help contribute to the well-being of the society.

    “Our coming to Wumba Village is another achievement of the Rotary Club of Asokoro in its efforts to empower women through this kind of gesture. A total of 20 women were selected to participate in the micro-finance scheme.

    “After series of training, 16 were selected and nine people received cash. Rotary does not give money by proxy; they will have to wait for next time.

    “I encourage them to be ambassadors of Rotary Club of Asokoro. My prayer for them is that, through this micro-finance scheme, they will boost their businesses,” she said.

    Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Chidinma Uche expressed her appreciation to the club for remembering and identifying with them, adding that though a lot of women were looking for such opportunity to grow their businesses, they have not been blessed with such opportunity.

    “This is really encouraging because what we have received today will boost our business. We call on benevolent Nigerians to support the activities of the Rotary Club of Asokoro,” she said.

  • Park-and-pay order to return

    An Abuja High Court judgment has since set aside the park-and-pay policy of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) but the Secretary, FCT Transport Secretariat, Jonathan Ivoke, has disclosed that its reinstatement is only a matter of time.

    Ivoke said the park-and-pay rule will continue after the review of the transport regulation bylaw.

    The court on April 17 declared the ‘Park and Pay Policy’ introduced by the FCTA illegal.

    The policy, which required motorists in Abuja to pay fees whenever they parked their vehicles in designated areas, had been an unpopular one, with residents and visitors in the city complaining about the high-handed and oppressive practices of the park and pay operators.

    In a judgment which was welcome by many in the FCT, Justice Peter Affen held that although the policy may be laudable, it was not backed by the law.

    The judge made the pronouncement while delivering judgment in a suit filed by a firm, Sun Trust Savings and Loans Limited, which approached the court to challenge the legality of the policy.

    Ivoke who did not give a specific date when the review will be ready, told newsmen when reacting to the court judgment that orderly parking continues despite the court order.

    When the Park and Pay is reintroduced, Ivoke said a general card will be used across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).       He warned that any vehicle that is parked on the walk way or wrongly, no matter how highly placed the owner is will be seized and a fee paid.

    Ivoke also warned the companies involved in the earlier park and pay deal following several complains to return vehicles seized before the court order to the owner to avoid further sanctions.

    His words: “We did not regard the court judgment as a setback because we have been working with the legal department to update the bylaw. We need to update the transport regulation bylaw. When park and pay was introduced in 2010 we noticed that there was some problem that was why we commenced the review of the bylaw.

    “Park and pay will bounce back after the comprehensive review of the bylaw. And the review will be soon but no date fixed. Despite the court order anybody that parks wrongly will pay not less than N5,000 to N10,000.       “Orderly parking in the FCT continues but there will be no payment. Don’t park on the walk ways. If you block the walk ways we will do away with your vehicle. There must be free flow of traffic.

    “FCT road transport regulation will be followed and the comprehensive review was started more than a year ago. Some of the review we are looking into is that some of the companies collaborating with FCT on the park and pay regulations do not pay their staff. They may not continue with us. Some of the operators neglected the guidelines of the FCT law.”

  • Fertiliser Centre registers 106,000 farmers

    The International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) has registered about 106,000 farmers in the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) Touch and Pay system in the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The FCT Coordinator, GES-TAP, Mr. Bisi Ilebani explained that the system, which is operational in the FCT and Sokoto State, was designed to secure a database of farmers.

    Speaking further, Ilebani said IFDC devised the GES-TAP technology to make it possible for government to identify individual farmers with their unique identification numbers and the TAP card issued upon completion of registration process.

    The FCT coordinator who spoke at one of the registration centres in Mpape, Bwari Area Council, said the figure recorded this year surpassed the 36, 000 farmers registered in 2013.

    He said: “In the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme, we noticed series of challenges; the major one was the issue of mobile networks in some villages.

    “We were on the field and we saw all these challenges, where some agro-dealers could not get their money on time after the supply to farmers. As we looked at it we decided to introduce GESTAP.

    “The TAP card will help to solve the issue of network. The farmers need to take the TAP card to any of the redemption centres to redeem their farm inputs.”

    He added: “We have registered 106, 000 farmers in FCT, and since the government launched the GES such number of farmers had not been registered. We have 250 enumerators on the field across the FCT, and 25 supervisors.

  • Gulak, the sacrificial lamb?

    Gulak, the sacrificial lamb?

    On Tuesday, last week, President Goodluck Jonathan took everyone by surprise. Unceremoniously, he terminated the appointment of his ever-active Special Adviser on Political Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak.

    A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Rueben Abati confirmed the termination of Gulak’s appointment. The statement, however, left much to imagination as there was no reason given for the termination.

    Many people were surprised with Gulak’s sack because he had exploited every available opportunity while on the job to lash out at perceived enemies of the administration and defended the actions or inactions of the Presidency.

    While other Presidential aides may shy away from speaking up on sensitive national issues, Gulak was always a reporter’s delight as he picks any phone calls either in the day or night, to address any issue. He has also never failed to reply any text messages from journalists.

    Providing reason for Gulak’s sack last week, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu said he was sacked for his arrogance and alleged irrational disposition.

    According to him, two weeks ago Gulak had gone to Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital to inaugurate the Goodluck Support Group (GSG) with a faction of the PDP in the state without informing the governor, Godswill Akpabio.

    Raising objections, Akpabio was said to have insisted on punishment for Gulak for undermining him and allegedly working with those opposed to his administration.

    While on the job, Gulak, among other declarations, had claimed that he was ready to die for Jonathan to ensure he wins the 2015 Presidential election. As at today, Jonathan has not officially declared his ambition for re-election.

    Replying former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who raised weighty allegations against Jonathan in a letter last year, Gulak said: “President Jonathan’s foot soldiers are ready to support him. We are all ready to take the bullet on his behalf and are ready to tell those who want to bring down his government that enough is enough.”

    While he was insisting last month that there was no alternative to Jonathan in 2015 Presidential election, Gulak had said: “Nigerians have seen there is no alternative to President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. We have gone round the country; even Nigerians in the Diaspora are unanimous on the fact that Nigeria is safer in President Jonathan’s hands.”

    While receiving Men and Women of Action Campaign Team (MWACT) in Abuja in March this year, Gulak had declared that opponents of the ongoing National Conference are enemies of Nigeria.

    Before the conference started in March, he had claimed that the conference was not programmed to promote Jonathan’s Presidential ambition.

    Replying Kano State Governor, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, who, in January, claimed  that Jonathan was leading Nigeria towards disaster because he lacked courage and the competence to do the right thing, Gulak had said: “That is a statement of a man that is drowning politically. He is mentally imbalanced. He needs a psychiatric help. It is only a man that is not balanced mentally that can be describing the President in that manner. Nigerians know what is being done by the President.”

    When the Governor of his state, Adamawa, Murtala Nyako alleged that Jonathan signed a document with some PDP governors agreeing to serve for a single term, Gulak had, early this year, replied saying: “Nyako is a lost sheep. He does not know where he is at the moment. His statement is nothing but a ranting of a man who is dead politically.”

    Nyako, through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Ahmad Sajoh, had declared that Gulak had no political life.

    Sajoh said: “Gulak never had a political life. It’s a pity that it is a person like him that is speaking on behalf of the President. This man lacks values; he is without honour.”

    Gulak, in December also described the governors who defected from the

    PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as “prodigal sons” who will soon return to the PDP fold to beg for forgiveness.

    When the APC accused Jonathan of ‘desecrating’ his office through his written response to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter late last year, Gulak did not spare any word in replying the party.

    In November last year, Gulak referred Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu to as a serial liar over allegation that the Presidency was plotting to bribe 400 Northerners towards 2015 election.

    Gulak, in June last year, did not hesitate to declare that any Niger Deltan who will go against Jonathan’s second term bid was not a true son of the South-South.

    These are some of his responses and attacks on perceived enemies since

    he assumed duty in November, 2011. There is no doubt that Gulak has, indeed stepped on many powerful toes.

    But with all the defences he had put up for the administration, many observers believed that the best action the President should have taken was to warn him and redeploy him to another position.

    And if he must go, this set of Nigerians believed that Gulak should have, at least, been given a soft-landing like the exit of some ministers and Presidential aides who were said to have “resigned to pursue their political aspirations.”

    There were still others who felt that Gulak should have been sacked a long time ago as they believed that he was not good for the administration, even as they maintained that he will always bring problem to the administration.

    To them, Jonathan’s greatest problems were those who surrounded him.

  • Guida: A community stuck to its beliefs

    Guida: A community stuck to its beliefs

    Guida village is a tiny community off Kubwa Expressway. It hosts such a mix of other tribes that it is difficult to differentiate between a typical villager and a settler.

    But that is not what stands the communtiy out. It is its traditions and beliefs, some of which outsiders like to term superstitious.

    The Guidna are very traditional people who although with the infiltration of foreigners in their midst which seems to have changed a lot in the aspect of dressing.

    Originally, the Gbagi women dressed in black blouses and headscarves and carried their articles, including food items and firewood, in calabashes on their neck instead of the head.

    To ensure continuity in terms of intermarriage, the Guida community ensures that any woman from another tribe who marries a Gbagi man is schooled in their traditions and culture. The new bride, on her wedding day, must be dressed in the Gbagi traditional attire and educated in the Gbagi tradition because she automatically becomes Gbagi, is accepted into the Gbagi family and the children she bears will be Gbagi.

    Although the community is generally known as Guida which is a Hausa pronunciation, the typical Guida villager will tell you that the original pronunciation is Guidna. Edna means stream, several of which surround the village. Gui means mahogany, a tree that was in abundance in the area when the first settlers arrived. The combination of both names produced Guidna.

    The little community has few social amenities although it is only a N50 motorbike-ride from the village to Arab Road in Kubwa. The village cannot boast of a primary health centre or a junior secondary school. There is no pipe-borne water. The villagers’ only source of clean water is the five boreholes located in strategic positions and donated by the Area council and Rotary Club.

    The Chief of Guida, Umar Danladi, said Guida village has existed for more than 200 years. Their communtiy, he added, used to be merged with Kagini when they all lived on top of the mountains, until his forefathers pulled out and established their own village just behind the original inhabitants.

    Guida is extremely superstitious, according to the chief. Most of the cutoms of the land are strictly adhered to by the citizens because they are aware of the repercussion of disobedience.

    “We have some traditional attitudes that we avoid in this village. Pounding in the night in our community is prohibited totally because we believe that pounding at night creates problems for the spirits of the dead; we believe that the spirit of the dead enjoys their peace and quiet and become restless when disturbed.

    “If you pound in the night especially knowing that you’re not supposed to, the person may become mad, blind or other things but as for strangers who are not aware of the tradition and culture it is different because an ignorant person cannot be harmed by what he does not know.”

    “We also have specific masquerades Amumo, Aguayi, Aguribe, which are the three most dangerous masquerades that only come out at night, women are not permitted to set eyes on them , any woman that does is asked to make sacrifices of goats or chickens to the forefathers of the land, any woman that mistakenly sees it will have to talk immediately and our forefathers will know the next thing to do but if she doesn’t, she will definitely die.” He added.

    He also said that, although it is an olden days tradition, the people of Guida still strongly believe in their cultures and traditions.

    To keep their tradition alive, the Guida community organises, cultural festivals like most tribes in Nigeria where their full tradition is displayed to include masquerades and semi nude dancers.

    Although Guida, which falls under the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) is very aware of how much the environment has changed from the time of old with the infiltration of strangers and foreigners into Guida, their women dress in other clothing’s including trousers as well and the traditional attires have been relegated to cultural festivals and special occasions alone.

  • Villa Chaplain hits the media

    Villa Chaplain hits the media

    The Easter Sunday service at the Presidential Villa last week provided the Aso Villa Chaplain, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba another opportunity to preach to Nigerians on the essence of keeping hope alive despite the various calamities being witnessed almost on a daily basis across the globe. He, however, did not hesitate during the sermon entitled ‘Let’s Celebrate’, to hit at some foreign and Nigerian media houses he felt were opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. According to him, the reports of the media houses, which he said he always monitored, do not always see anything good in the Jonathan administration. Stressing that there is every reason to celebrate, he said: “When you listen to CNN, AIT, Daily Trust, Leadership, Nation, Sun, they turn everything into a problem. They never see anything good. All you read in the papers never give you hope.” “Life no longer gives meaning to some Nigerians and some of them feel like committing suicide. There are many Nigerians who are N.F.A, No Future Ambition (NFA). But the only person that gives hope is Jesus Christ.” “This world does not offer us any hope. It is only Jesus Christ that brought hope to the world. We are here to celebrate a living hope. There is a reason to celebrate.” He said Some journalists covering the church service were surprised by the Pastor’s classification of the media houses as opposition to the government for what most of them viewed as constructive criticism of the administration towards a better Nigeria. They were confused whether the remark was mainly to impress the number one citizen, who attended the service, or was by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit indicating the global calamities and bad reports as part of signs of the end time. The Pastor during the service also advised that only God can make anybody a president of any nation and that no Nigerian on the street should just wake up and desire to be one. “It takes a lot to become a president. It is not easy. It is not something you desire; it is what God gives,” he stated Another dramatic scenario happened during the time for the Holy Communion at the end of the sermon. From the way all the dignitaries surrounding the President came out to partake in the Holy Communion along with the President, it is only God who can say whether they came out on their own will for the spiritual blessing or to only impress the President. Before the wafers, which signified the body of Jesus Christ and wine, which signified His blood, were served in His remembrance, Ven. Onwuzurumba warned the congregation that only those who are ready in spirit should take part in the Holy Communion. He also warned that there are adverse implications for those whose hands are not clean to partake in the Holy Communion. Declaring that no one can successfully serve two masters at the same time, he specifically warned those eating with the devil through ‘Ogboni’ and other secret cults not to dare take the Holy Communion. But when the Holy Communion started in earnest, nobody from the President’s first row of seats to the fifth row behind him remained on their seat. They all filed out to take the Holy Communion. Some of the dignitaries, who came late for the service after it started and were seated on the back rows, either for their different spiritual beliefs or they were not ready, sneaked out of the chapel before their turn came to file out for the Holy Communion under the pretence of receiving phone calls. They sneaked back to their seats as soon as the queue of the congregation filing out for the Holy Communion has passed their seat rows.

  • ‘Awaiting Trial inmates our major problem’

    It was moment of excitement for inmates of the Kuje Maximum Prison when they were re-assured that their current situation was temporary. They were encouraged to be hopeful that they could still achieve greatness when they regain their freedom. Those were messages of hope on Easter Monday which will remain indelible in the minds of the inmates who danced to the rhythm of soul-lifting music, even as they participated in other fun-filled activities to commemorate the season. The event was organised by Wazobia FM, a popular radio station in Abuja. Tagged ‘Prison Break’, the event aimed at encouraging the inmates to remain focused while their matters are on in the various law courts. Expressing his worry over the prevailing criminal justice system in the country, the Controller of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Command, Mr. Kasali Yusuf said out of over 640 inmates, about 500 are on the Awaiting Trial list in Kuje Prison, adding that the facility has 16 Condemned Criminals (CC). Yusuf revealed that the high number of inmates on the Awaiting Trial list has been a major concern for the prison management; even as he said efforts are on to ensure their trials are not unnecessarily delayed. He said: “The Chief Judge of the FCT, Justice Bukar Ibrahim has given a matching order to the judges under him to ensure that the issue of awaiting trial is resolved. “Our major challenge here is the number of inmates who are on Awaiting Trial list and who have stayed too long in this prison. The fact that they are in prison does not mean that all hope is lost. Quite a number of them who are in prison are for the benefit of all. And most of them are Awaiting Trial and by the Nigerian law the Awaiting Trial inmates are still innocent until proven guilty by a competent law court. “Being in prison does not indicate that all hope is lost.. Some of the inmates are here as a result of youthful exuberant, association with bad gangs, which consequence they do not know. “Some inmates have spent up to 10 years and above on the Awaiting Trail list. But since the Chief Judge assumed duty, the Criminal Administration Committee meeting has become effective. We have been talking. Two weeks ago, we had a meeting in which we discussed how to improve the criminal justice system in the FCT in such a manner that people who commit criminal offences would not stay unnecessarily too long in prison as Awaiting Trial, especially staying longer than the period they would have stayed if they had been convicted. “The National Human Right Commission was also here to access the Awaiting Trial situation in the prison and they left with some facts which they would work on. As at today, we have over 500 inmates on the Awaiting Trial list out of over 641 inmates. Among this figure are 16 condemned inmates.” A human rights lawyer, Kelvin Nwosu assured the Awaiting Trial inmates that he would work with the FCT to quicken the justice system to guarantee their speedy trial. “Where you are today is temporary and it has expiry date. You can also contribute by quickening the date to expire. Those of you that are on the Awaiting Trial list should keep on praying and working with your lawyers. Tell your lawyer to push your case because some lawyers are also not helping matters. They, sometimes, abandon your case. “By the grace of God the law is changing to enable speedy trial of Awaiting Trial inmates.” Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro also gave hope to those inmates who have lost confidence in the judicial system. Moro, who was represented by one of his Special Assistants said: “The fact that they are locked up here does not mean all hope is lost. There is still something good that can come out of them. We need to show them love in this Easter period, for it is a season of love. We cannot give up on anybody. My advice to the inmates is to change their ways, turn away from evil and embrace Christ. Once they have Christ with them, they will not go into crisis.” The Head Presenter Wazobia FM, Nwokedi Moses popularly known as ‘Big Moor’ said: “What brought about this is the congestion in the Nigerian prisons and how to help in decongesting them. We discovered that when the inmates are released and they do not have any means of livelihood, they will go back into crime and that indirectly takes them back into the prison. Such situation is not good for the society. We decided to start up a campaign tagged ‘Prison Break’ to educate and motivate them to know that they can be champions of freedom.”

  •  NGO donates to kids, widows

    Disturbed by the growing rate of poverty in some families in Lokogoma, a suburb of Abuja, the Sure Smiles Women and Children Advocacy Initiative (SSWCAI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has provided some gift items for no fewer than 200 children and widows who gathered at the St. Benedict Catholic Church, Lokogoma to benefit from the NGO’s benevolence.

    The Parish Priest of the church, Rev. Fr Thomas Asen who received the items on behalf of the church urged people not to leave the progress of the country and the well-being of the people for government alone.

    While noting that giving is a tradition sanctioned by God, Fr Asen said “givers never lack.”

    Continuing, the Priest said: “They have brought so many things to enable us to reach out to the needy. This is the kind of gesture we need in the country. That is what we should do because people are in difficult situation. We should not leave everything in the hands of government.

    ”We are experiencing difficult situation here. The bomb blast is a wake-up call for us to reach out to those who need help. The leaders should be assisted because leaving everything to them will be too much for them. Let us identify those who are in need of help and share what we have with them.”

    The widows and pregnant women among the beneficiaries said the goodwill will go a long way in cushioning the effects of poverty in their families.

    The Coordinator of the initiative, Mrs. Chioma Uzo-Udegbunam said: “We are aware that there are some in the society who don’t have. We decided to come and share with them so that they can be in good spirit despite the challenges confronting us as a country.”

    She called on Nigerians to form the habit of giving to others who are less-privileged.

    “I feel Nigerians should learn to share with others. We should not make the less-privileged ones among us to feel forsaken or feel that God has forgotten them.

    “When others are celebrating and rejoicing, you should not be left out. I believe that there is joy in sharing and the hand of the giver is always on top.

    “We have brought this to Lokogoma for you to share to these children and widows so that they can be happy amidst the difficulties and violence going on in the country.”

    One of the beneficiaries, Blessing Monday said: “I feel good. The gesture by the group will impact my life in more positive way. My prayer is that God should add more power to their elbow. I also pray that God should lift us too so that we can help other people.

    Kaka Ismaila, another beneficiary said: “They gave me two shoes and a gown. I am very grateful to them.”

    Some of the gift items distributed to the beneficiaries were rice, biscuits, tomato paste, salt, onions, clothes, foot wears, indomie noodles, cheese balls, tissue, bobo milk drink and carpri-sonne.