Insurgency: AUN assists displaced persons

The American University of Nigeria (AUN) Yola has distributed some relief materials to internally displaced persons in the state.

The beneficiaries of the largesse are taking refuge at the state’s orientation camp of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) and other locations in Yola metropolis. Over 2,000 families are at NYSC camp alone with the Adamawa Emergency Management Agency, ADSEMA supervising.

To ensure that the educational progress of children and young adults in the camps is not disrupted, the secondary school arm of the university also donated some exercise books and other learning materials to the camp.

The president of the university, Dr. Margee Ensign who led the AUN team in the distribution of the materials also disclosed that the 40 volunteers were already been mobilised from among its faculties and schools to teach and offer ICT training there.

She was joined by members of the Adamawa Peacemakers Initiative (API), a group of local community and religious leaders partnering the university in peace building and empowerment of atrisk youths.

The Catholic Bishop of Yola Diocese, Stephen Mamza collected the items which include rice, maize, cooking oil and clothing on behalf of the beneficiaries at Saint Teresa’s Catholic Church, Jimeta.

The relief aid was to cater for the additional 2,000 families which registered with the Church’s charity in the last few days as Yola and Jimeta grapple with waves of families escaping the insurgency in Madagali, Mubi and the northern parts of Adamawa State.

Last month according to a release by the institution, the team had made similar donations to the same church where about 7, 500 people are taking refuge as well as the Yola Mosque, hosting thousands of families.

They donated foodstuffs and other supplies. Dr. Ensign said that AUN and API are honoured to support what the bishop is doing with the displaced persons.

According to her, “We have pooled resources as one community to ensure that everyone (Muslims and Christians) have enough to eat, a place to stay, and a future. So, we stand united to make sure that people’s needs are being met.”

At the NYSC camp, the team rendered expertise in improving the sanitary condition in the camp by helping to construct 25 latrines 15 for women and 10 for men. The Executive Secretary to ADSEMA, Mr. Haruna Hamma-Furo, also praised the AUN-API gesture.

“This great moment is one of the best things you can give to somebody. If you give somebody food, he eats it and after sometime he forgets it. But if you develop him, you’ve given him life. Here at the camp we’ve gone beyond thinking of feeding.

We are now after their [refugees’] career.” He noted that the bulk of the displaced is made up of women and children and that their education is of paramount interest.

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