Skip to main content

Boko Haram: VSF earmarks N120m to empower 7,000 widows

IPDs

IPDs

The Executive Director, Victims Support Fund, (VSF), Prof. Sunday Ocheche, said the organisation had earmarked N120 million to support 7,000 widows and other vulnerable women affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

Ocheche made this known at the inauguration of the project held in Maiha Local Government Area of Adamawa on Wednesday.

He said that the beneficiaries were those in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

Ocheche said that the development was to assist improve livelihood and create business opportunities for the widows who lost their husbands to Boko Haram insurgency.

“As part of the organisation’s humanitarian intervention in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, about 7, 000 widows and other vulnerable women would be assisted with unconditional cash grant.

“Each beneficiary will receive N20,000 cash to restart a small business of her choice,” Ocheche said.

The executive director said that the programme started last year with 1,000 Internally Displaced Women living in some camps in Maiduguri.

He added that after the successful outcome result of the exercise, the organisation decided to expand it to reach more women and cover additional affected states.

He explained that due to the dynamic nature of the project, it would be extended to cover other affected states in the region in the future.

In her remark, Prof. Nana Tanko, the Director of the Programme of VSF, said that Borno had the highest number of beneficiaries of 3,500 and would be given N50 million grant.

She said that Adamawa with the total of 2,000 widows would follow with N40 million while Yobe with 1,500 beneficiaries would have N30 million.

Tanko said that the beneficiaries were contacted and intensively selected through their local cooperative groups by some recognised Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in the three affected states.

She said that in Adamawa four local government areas: Maiha, Mubi South, Mubi North and Michika were selected by the state government to participate in the programme.

She said that Borno had five local government areas: Chibok, Askira-Uba, Gubio, Mafa and Kaga, while in Yobe, Gujba and Gulani local government areas were selected.

In their separate responses on behalf of the beneficiaries, Govs.Muhammadu Jibrillah and Kashim Shettima of Adamawa and Borno respectively thanked the VSF for the wonderful ‘’humanitarian assistances.’’

They were represented by Hajiya Maisaratu Bello and Hajiya Fanta Baba-Shehu, Adamawa Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women affairs and Borno commissioner of Women Affairs respectively.

The two governors, however, warned the beneficiaries to judiciously use the fund for the purpose intended to better their lives.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more