Loading .... . . Inaugurates rebuilding & Resettlement Committee
KAJURU – Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) – the socio-cultural umbrella group of all Southern Kaduna tribal groups in Southern Kaduna – yesterday distributed food stuff and building materials for the displaced Adara persons in Kajuru Local Government Area (LGA) and part of Kachia LGA yesterday.
This was after a brief ceremony in Maraban Kajuru, KAjuru LGA, in which SOKAPU inaugurated a 20-man committee, headed by Most Rev. Father Willaims Abba and saddled it with the task of assisting Adara Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) rebuild their ravaged communities and return home to resettle.
The Father Williams Abba led committee will also include the ravaged village of Nandu, in Sanga LGA, where another herdsmen attack last month left 8 people killed and 48 houses burnt.
Before Inaugurating the Committee on behalf of the President of SOKAPU, Barrister Solomon Kaptain Musa, SOKAPU Chairman, Relieve and Intervention Committee, Dr. Joshua La’ah informed a gathering of state holders at the NDI Foundation School Hall, Maraban Kajuru, that so far 129 Adara natives have been killed in the violence which started on the 10th April, 2019.
He said that the figure was arrived at after each affected committee came with evidence of its victims in a well arranged format which can be made available anytime it was needed.
He added further that in Nbok, Nandu, in Sanga LGA, that 8 persons were killed and 48 houses destroyed, but that none of the survivors were in any refugee camp.
He said that there were currently a total of 12, 420 Adara IDPs scattered in 11 camps mostly in Kajuru LGA with Maraban Kajuru town holding the highest number of 4,4110 persons, mostly children, women and infirmed aged ones.
JSS Kajuru, in Kajuru LGA and Adara Town Hall, Sabo, Kaduna, has 3,477 and 2,5011 respectively among others.
Dr. La’ah thanked individuals, groups and organisations who had contributed to the welfare of the IDPs and further asked for more assistance.
He however noted that the most important desire of the IDPs was that they return home to their communities and eke out a living if their security can be assure as the rainy season has already commenced.
He said it was based on that demand that SOKAPU constituted a 20-man committee and charged it with the responsibility of carrying out an assesement of the extend of the damages suffered by affected villages with the aim of mobilising assistance for their rebuilding and resettlement of willing IDPs. He then inaugurated the committee.
Father Williams Abba, who accepted the responsibility with thanks on behalf of members of his committee, said they would do their best in the interest of Southern Kaduna and Christainity.
At the IDP camp, in LEA Primary School, Maraban Kajuru, Father Williams presented 110 bundles of roofing sheets; 60 packets of roofing nails, 5 bags of rice, 5 bags of maize, assorted soaps, detergents and 4 large bags of clothing to cheering crowd of IDPs on behalf of SOKAPU.
While addressing crowd, he said “our brothers and sisters in Adara land and other parts of Southern Kaduna have been traumatized and terrorized. They have buried in hundreds, their kit and kin. They are still nurturing the injured. We are grateful that some of them have made significant progress. Some of the injured are still in the hospitals and many more have been discharged. Regrettably, some of them may have to leave with permanent disabilities.
“Community after community have been sacked and are still been sacked. Houses have been razed down. Food barns have been turned into ashes. Our brothers and sisters have been displaced. They are without shelter. They are hungry. They are vulnerable.
“Let me state here: Sokapu cannot substitute Kaduna State Emergency Agency (SEMA) of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). These government agencies must be alive to their responsibility
“It is however, our duty and those of many good spirited individuals to come to the aid of our relations. They need us now. They want to feel us closer to them. What Southern Kaduna People’s Union has done today by organizing this event for which relief materials will be presented and the committee for the resettlement of the displaced inaugurated is to challenge our common humanity as well as sense of brotherhood and push everyone of us into action.
“ It is not enough to cry for the victims. We must do something. Our deliberate efforts in the coming days will speak volumes about us. We must intervene. We must help our brothers and sisters to overcome fear, rebuild their homes and go back to their communities,” he said/
The Chairman, of the IDP camp there, Mr. Ali Kuri Ado thanked SOKAPU, saying their most important need was security and their return their homes.
