Tag: Highlights

A Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Center For Initiative and Development (CFID), has donated working implements, worth millions of naira, to women presently taking refuge in the various Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Taraba State.

The tools include sewing machines, rice processing equipment, soap making materials and hair driers.The organisation had early last year also engaged the women in various trainings and skills acquisition programmes.

The women, who were displaced from their original homes in neighboring Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, following the Boko Haram insurgency, could not hold back tears of gratitude over the donations.

Chairman and Chief Executive of the CFID, Danjuma Adda, said the organisation decided to take train and empower the women to discourage them from indulging in prostitution and other vices capable of jeopardising their future.Adda said CFID had in the past engaged in various humanitarian activities and would not relent in reaching out to the less privileged in the state and the country.He admonished the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the implements to benefit themselves, the IDPs and society at large.

A representative of United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in the state, Daniel Bisu, and the Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Paul Tino, reiterated their commitments to partner with CFID.

Chairman of the IDPs in the state, Paul A. Achagwa, said: “The IDPs in Taraba state will forever remain grateful to CFID. Since we arrived this state from other states, CFID has been helping us in all areas of life.”

A representative of the state Ministry of Women and Child Development Affairs, Elizabeth K. Joshua, said the state government would continue to partner with CFID to discourage women from engaging in negative acts.She urged the women to tread legitimate paths that would bring succour to them and charged the beneficiaries not to sell the items donated to them, but go the extra mile to training their fellow IDPs.

Some of the women beneficiaries promised to make use of the equipment and the knowledge acquired during the training to make life better for themselves and IDPs in the state.

Nigerian Army has embarked on an exercise code named: “AYEM AKPATUMA” otherwise known as “Cat Dance” in Taraba State. The exercise, according to a notification letter signed by commander 23 Brigade Yola, Brigadier General, Bello Muhammad and made available to journalists yesterday in Jalingo, the exercise will end on March 31. He said the exercise was aimed at curbing security challenges, especially on clashes between herders and farmers, armed banditry and cattle rustling among others. According to the letter, the exercise would cover Taraba, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa and Niger States. The letter also stated that in addition to real tactical exercise, “AYEM AKPATUMA” would conduct some civil military activities with government ministries, department, agencies, traditional institutions and the media. Muhammad also said other activities would include town hall meetings, medical outreach and show of force when necessary.