Al-Makura donates relief materials to communities affected by violence

Lafia - Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State on Sunday distributed relief materials to 20 communities affected by the recent political clash in the state. Speaking while distributing the items, the governor said that his administration was deeply concerned about the plight of the affected communities. The items distributed include rice, beans, cooking pots, agricultural inputs such as fertiliser, herbicides and knap-sack sprayers, clothing materials, mattresses, roofing sheets and blankets. He said that he made the donation in cooperation with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). "The gesture will go a long way in boosting food production in the state as the victims are predominantly farmers. "Government considers the plight of the victims very disturbing and that is why, as a responsible government, we shall continue to intensify efforts towards ensuring their well-being and those of the entire citizenry," Al-Makura said. Also read: Borno spending on IDPs significantly reduced He noted that the incessant communal violence had impacted negatively on the economy of the state and expressed delight that the situation had been brought under control. He, therefore, appealed to the people of the state to embrace peace to ensure rapid socio-economic development of the state. Alhaji Ahmadu Aliyu-Ogah, the Andoma of Doma, who spoke on behalf of the benefiting communities, said the gesture was a demonstration of Al-Makura’s compassion for the people of the state. He assured the governor that the traditional rulers in the various communities would work to ensure equitable distribution of the materials to the affected persons in the state. Supporters of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), clashed in the state in February, destroying billboards, among other things. - NAN