The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) donated food items to about 320 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Katsina State on Sunday. The association said the gesture was part of its social responsibility and solidarity with vulnerable Nigerians.
Dr Lawalli Alkali, the ASUU national resource person, who represented the national president, Prof. Victor Emmanuel, at the distribution of the relief materials, said the association had been carrying out such humanitarian interventions for a long time. He said the foodstuffs included rice, cooking oil, spaghetti, noodles, and seasoning cubes.
“ASUU has always identified with vulnerable groups and the most seriously vulnerable Nigerians, like internally displaced persons (IDPs). ASUU regards IDPs as a manifestation of a serious problem. When you see IDPs across the country, it shows that we still have a lot to do on security matters,” he said.
He also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to adopt necessary measures to tackle security challenges in the country and enable IDPs to return to their homes. He commended Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State for his commitment to addressing security issues in the state.
“We pray that he remains focused on doing the needful to ensure that IDPs return to their homes and resume their farming and other business activities,” he said.
Some of the IDPs, mostly women, expressed appreciation for ASUU’s gesture and appealed to the state government and wealthy individuals to also assist them. They said they were in need of serious assistance, as staying in uncompleted buildings was not their desire. They also called on governments at all levels to redouble efforts to tackle security challenges in their communities.