The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in collaboration with Barnabas Aid, has distributed food items worth millions of naira to the People Living With Physical Disabilities (PLWD) and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Mangu and Bokkos LGA of Plateau State.
New Telegraph reports that the food items are targeted at over 1000 households, with each home taking half a bag of rice, a quarter bag of Garri, Beans and Maize.
Others include gallons of palm and vegetable oil, packets of Salt, Maggi and sugar, among many cooking condiments.
Speaking to our correspondent at the IDPs camp at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, Bokkos, one of the victims of the 2023 Christmas Eve attacks, Pastor Gideon Dawa from the Classical Presbyterian Church Bar community, whose pregnant wife and five children were killed, lamented that he has been afflicted and neglected by the state Government.
According to him, during the attack on the 24th of December, 2023, around 6 p.m., suspected Fulani terrorists invaded their community and killed his wife and five children in the process.
“I had stepped out briefly to buy some items. While I was away, the terrorists came and attacked my community. My pregnant wife and five children were slaughtered.
“All the food I stored and my personal belongings were burnt to ashes. I only survived because I was away at the time of the attacks.
“To be candid with you, the State Government knows about what happened to me. They even came around, but they have never visited me personally, not even once. They have never asked me how I am living. They have never asked me anything.
Pastor Dawa continued, “Infact, they are the people who packed the burnt bones of my children. I was once invited to the Government House Chapel and introduced as a guest speaker. The governor was there, and that was the end of the story, he said amid sobs.
For Nanfwang Johnson, the 41-year-old who spoke to our correspondent on behalf of Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWD) said his family’s house was burnt down during one of the attacks on their community in Mangu LGA.
While receiving the food items, he commended the Northern CAN and Barnabas Aid for their support for the less privileged in society.
According to him, the gesture will go along way in ameliorating their suffering.
Also, in an interview with Reverend Fr Paul Watpe, Parish Priest of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Bokkos, said the church recorded
about 9,840 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 3,210 households.
He explained that they are organisations that have come to their assistance, like UNICEF and Bokkos LGA, adding that many individuals are also supporting them with food items to give the IDPs.
“As a church, on our part, we contribute to support the people living within the compound here. I am so excited by this gesture from Northern CAN, with the support of Barnabas Aid, because we never expected this.
“For some months now, nobody has brought anything, and we were beginning to be discouraged, wondering how we would continue to handle these people, he said.
Speaking during a separate presentation of food items to the IDPs camp at ECWA church, Mangu and St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Bokkos LGA, the chairman of Northern CAN, Rev Joseph John Hayab, said they received support from Barnabas Aid covering five states, four in the North and one in the South.
According to him, the states are Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Ondo, and Borno.” I have already visited Kaduna, Ondo, and Benue. Today, we are in Plateau State, and after Plateau, we shall move to Borno, the last state.
“We are targeting 1,000 households in each state—not individuals. Each household will receive nine items: half a bag of rice, a quarter bag of Beans, Maize, Garri and Sugar, Salt, Maggi, Palm and Vegetable Oil.
“We are also focusing on vulnerable people, including those living with disabilities. These are people who really need our love and care.
Rev Hayab explained that the essence of this support is to show the victims that they are not alone, adding that there are our brothers and sisters who can not be forgotten.
“We also want to appeal to our political leaders: no one should be allowed to be killed or suffer because of his or her religion beliefs. People must be protected. The evil of killing or burning communities, under any guise, is wrong and must be condemned and not allowed to continue.
Northern CAN also appeals to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the governors of these five states to ensure their citizens are secured for any meaningful development.
“We want to use this initiative to challenge wealthy Nigerians to learn to help one another and to support those who are facing challenges, because it will reduce the anger and pain you see around. People are angry today because, first, there is no security, and secondly, help seems not to be coming.
“Northern CAN further said no to the politicisation of gifts. Sometimes people give gifts that are almost meaningless, like bringing a half-bag of rice and asking five people to share it. It may look like a gift, but make people feel like beggars, he said.
For Bishop Mohammed, who is also from Borno state and the Secretary General of CAN Northern Nigeria said the state governor is negotiating with the Government of Cameroun and the United Nations to bring back Nigerian IDPs, particularly from Bama LGA, who have been displaced by Boko Haram.
“I think about 2,000 or 3,000 people were brought back to Nigeria a few days ago. We appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure no Nigerian is victimised on account of ethnicity and religion, he said
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of Bokkos Community Development Association (BCDA), Zaka Akos, commended Northern CAN and Barnabas Aid for picking Mangu and Bokkos LGA as beneficiaries of this support.
According to him, some of the victims have been attacked several times, adding that some have lost their husbands, wives, children and their entire family members, stressing that everything they had laboured for has been destroyed overnight.
