Several millions of Naira has been spent in aid to support displaced people of Bakassi in Cross Rivers State.
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Friday donated relief including pharmaceuticals, bags of rice, power generating sets, slippers, tubers of yam, blankets, mosquito nets, plates, buckets, palm and groundnut oil, cartons of tin tomatoes, toilet tissues, baby foods, among others, to the people at the premises of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Calabar.
The Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority, Malam Habib Abdullahi who was represented at the presentation ceremony by the Calabar Port Manager, Engr. Musa Wada said that the donation was in line with the Authority’s corporate social responsibility policy.
According to Wada, “The Nigerian Ports Authority in line with directive of President Good Luck Jonathan also recently responded to the plight of flood victims by donating relief materials to the people.”
Receiving the relief materials on behalf of the Bakassi people, Senator Florence Ita Giwa said that she was proud to be identified with Nigerian Ports Authority and described the NPA as a socially responsible organization.
She appreciated the Authority for the prompt manner in which they responded to the desperate call for assistance by the Bakassi returnees.
Speaking further, the Senator lamented the deplorable living conditions of the Bakassi returnees saying, “As we speak today, we have about 3,679 refugees at the camp; and I must say that the items donated by Nigerian Ports Authority are most appropriate because most of the female returnees came back pregnant and have had deliveries at the camp.
Restoring hope to the people, Senator Giwa disclosed that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan recently heeded to the cry of Bakassi people by setting up a committee to look into the actualization of their demand for their resettlement.
She thanked the people of Akpabuyo in Cross River State for allowing the Bakassi people to co-exist peacefully with them; adding that a rotation arrangement has been put in place for the governance of the Local Government Area to ensure equity and fairness.
Senator Ita Giwa further commended the State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke for his compassionate disposition towards the Bakassi people; explaining that past agitations by the people was not intended to embarrass government, but was purely products of protracted agony and pain which the Bakassi people had been enduring over the past 12 years.
ItaGiwa appreciated the efforts of the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Vincent Aquahfor for his numerous assistance since the Bakassi incident began, and urged the government to ensure that basic amenities were provided at the Day Spring settlement site to ease the life of the returnees when they eventually settle there.
In his response, the Director General of SEMA, confessed that the relief materials donated by NPA were the largest consignment ever received from any organization for this present batch of returnees.
The Director General called on other organizations to emulate the Nigerian Ports Authority to continue to see to the welfare of Bakassi returnees and make every effort to resettle them.
Later in his goodwill message, a Board member of Nigerian Ports Authority , Alhaji Mohammed Abana said he was greatly impressed by the efforts of Senator Ita Giwa in the struggle for the welfare of her people, and learnt his voice to the call for the resettlement of the Bakassi people.
Capt Iheanacho Ebubeogu FIMarEST
General Manager Public Affairs
