NEWS: VSF Supports Adamawa State Government with Learning Materials to Boko Haram Affected Areas.

BY: Atenka  John

In a quest to ensure that the Educational pursuit of Children in Boko Haram ravaged areas was not sturded,  the Nigerian Foundation for the Support of Victims of Terrorism, Victims Support Fund (VSF) partnered  with the Adamawa State Government.

Receiving the deligation at Mubi II Primary School  on behalf  of the Executive Governor of Adamawa State Senator Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla, the Honourable Commissioner of Education Professor Kaletapwa G. Farauta who declared the occasion open, said it is an occasion  where  learning materials are expected to be distributed  by VSF to thirteen  (13) Primary Schools in both Mubi North and South. The schools to benefit include:-

PRIMARY  SCHOOLS                                                         No of PUPILS

VIGTIM                                                                                          397
KAMDA                                                                                          191
KWA                                                                                                390
MUVA                                                                                             588
GIWA BLAME                                                                               234
BETSO CENTRAL                                                                       579
BETSO MANGO                                                                           234
NASSARAWO GIRLS                                                                 379
MUBI II                                                                                           740
GAYA                                                                                               630
SABON PEGI                                                                                 553
KWARHI A.                                                                                    686
UBA CENTRAL PILOT                                                              1399

The Commissioner appreciated the Federal Government under the Leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chairman VSF General T.Y Danjuma (rtd) for ensuring that only victims  benefited from the funds. She said the intervention would have not come  in a better time than now, when students have suffered as the result of the insurgents activities that took place some times ago, with structures destroyed and students traumatized and hence the need to detraumatize the youths   by  raising structures, providing psycho social  and learning  materials just like VSF is doing.  She called  on NGOS and other stake holders to emulate  VSF.

The Commissioner further reminded Parents that the most durable inheritance to any child today is through moral and quality education. She therefore called on teachers and parents to make sure that the items donated are put to best used.

In his keynote address the Executive Director VSF Professor Sunday Ochoche  said,  the last time he visited Mubi was immediately after its recovery  by the Nigerian Militatry and Mubi was rudimentary and very skeletal, unlike  today Mubi is full of live with school and economic activities all over. He further reiterated  that Education is one of the major areas of focus  by VSF and Mubi North, Mubi South and Hong  are identified as key  LGAs in Adamawa State for  intervention by VSF since education is critical to dealing with root courses of insurgency that we are managing today. 

Ochoche said so much of the crisis  that we are facing today is because  of the low level of education and the manipulation of our ignorance by certain group of people and  if we fell to educate our children we may be breading next generation of Boko Haram agents and that's why all hands must be on deck to ensure education  for all.  It is  in this quest that VSF is distributing learning materials to seven thousand  (7000) students in the schools mention  above:-

ITEM                                                                           QUANTITY
School bags,                                                                  7000
Shoe (sandals)                                                               7000
Maths textbooks                                                            7000
English  ,,                                                                       7000
Basic science  text book                                                 7000
Social studies                                                                 7000
Pencils                                                                           7000
Pen                                                                                7000

The Executive Director  thank the Ministry of Education for the warm reception and  promised to sustain the partnership between the Adamawa State Ministry of Education and VSF. The team had since proceeded to Maiduguri  and Yobe states for onward distribution of like materials.

In his vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary of  the  Ministry Alhaji Bashir Yerima D. Tukur  who happens to be an old student of Mubi II the Venue of the event thanked the VSF for their  support  and advice the pupils to reciprocate the kind gesture with excellence.

Immediately after the VSF event  Professor Farauta  proceeded to GSS Mubi where a total renovation initiated by His Excellency the Executive Governor of Adamawa State Senator Mohammed Umaru Jibirilla  was on going, the Commissioner was taken round the project site by the the Representative  of SAKIN Intergrated Services  Nig.  Ltd. The company handling the project. Where  she  expressed satisfaction with the work done so far  and urged  the Contractor to speed up activities as raining season approaches.

The Commissioner was how ever at the Mubi Technical College, where she told the two  Principals, Senior and Junior to exercise patients as Government is working out modalities to see that all schools not just in Mubi are  renovated in phases, due to financial  challenges around the world yet, the Government  is determine to live no stone unturned in all sectors. She also called  on students to always keep their environment clean and habitable.