The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has urged corporate organisations in Nigeria to emulate the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) by supporting and complementing government’s efforts towards alleviating the suffering of persons affected by the recent floods and other natural disasters across the country. The governor made the call while receiving relief materials from the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, at Government House, Kaduna, in continuation of the donation of relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the country. Speaking during the presentation of the materials at the Government House, El-Rufai said the donation came at the right time, noting that the plight of the IDPs has been challenging and of concern to the state and that the materials would be evenly distributed to the IDP camps across the state. The governor stated that the state government was doing its best to ensure the welfare and security of IDPs in the state. “We note this NIMASA’s act of magnanimity. Kaduna State has a total number of over 11,000 internally displaced persons who are in different IDP camps spread all over the state and these materials came at the right time. There will be prudence, transparency and accountability in the management of the distribution of the donated items to the IDPs. This is a commendable act and we will continue to ensure the welfare and security of our people. And so, we call on other corporate institutions as well as individual philanthropists to emulate NIMASA,” the governor said. On his part, Dakuku stated that the internally displaced persons across Nigeria were of utmost concern to government because they constituted an integral part of the society and should be catered for. The DG, who was represented by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, stated that the gesture was in continuation of NIMASA’s nationwide donation of diverse forms of relief materials to states affected by natural disasters, particularly the recent flood disaster that submerged some parts of the country, including Kaduna State. While presenting the materials to the governor, the DG noted that the Agency would vigorously pursue the improvement of the welfare of Nigerians and the economy as a whole. “The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency is here today in line with its Corporate Social Responsibility disposition. We are conscious of the situation of the internally displaced persons in the country, and so we are here with a message of hope. We are not here to lament, but to felicitate with you and at the same time encourage you to remain hopeful and steadfast in the face of this challenge. NIMASA, as a socially responsible institution, will continue to support efforts geared towards improving the lives of Nigerians to make them live meaningfully in our society,” the DG said. Materials donated ranged from mattresses, garri, school bags, salt, rice, fishing nets, blanket, tins of powdered milk, beverages, soap/ detergents, sugar, noodles, palm/vegetable oil, amongst others. It is worthy of note that the Federal Government has consistently encouraged interested philanthropists and non-governmental organisations to partner with government in order to adequately cater for the needs of Nigerians who are affected by one form of disaster or another. It is in line with such encouragement that the Management of NIMASA embarked on the provision of relief materials of diverse forms to the Internally Displaced Persons across 20 states of the federation throughout the Six Geo-political Zones.
