POWA donates relief materials to IDPs in Edo

The Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) has donated relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ohogua Community in Ovia North East Local Government Area, Edo State.

The items donated include 100 matrasses, 100 pillow-cases, 100 bags of rice, 100 buckets, 10 cartons of washing soap, 100 cartons of bathing soap, 10 cartons of body cream and two bales of clothes.

The National President of POWA and wife of the Inspector General of Police, Hajiya Asta Ibrahim Idris, who led other members of the association on the exercise, said the gesture is aimed at ameliorating the hardship experienced by the IDPs as a result of the activities of insurgents that displaced families and forced them to seek shelter in the camps.

She added, “As responsible wives and mothers who feel the pains and impact of your displacement from your homes, we owe you a duty to visit you and put smiles on your faces.”

She commended Governor Godwin Obaseki, noting, “It is my hope and prayer that more Nigerians and institutions of government will make more commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of people living in IDP camps.”

Governor Obaseki, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Hon. Yakubu Gowon, commended POWA for its humanitarian gesture.

Obaseki urged other stakeholders to join forces with the state and Federal Government in assisting the IDPs recover from the trauma of terrorism.

Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, commended the wife of the IGP for the gesture, noting that the visit marks another milestone in the history of the State Police Command.

He commended the IGP for his contribution to reducing criminality in the state through the provision of needed equipment to fight crime, adding, “The IGP made it possible to establish a Marine Police base in Edo State to put an end to criminal activity on our water ways. Our waterway in the state is now safer as criminals now find it difficult to use the waterway as a means of escape after committing crimes on land.”

The coordinator of the IDP camp, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, expressed appreciation to the wife of the IGP and POWA for the visit, and said that the visit has lifted the spirit of over 2,000 members in the camp.

 “We thank the Federal Government and the Edo State Government for their continued support,” he added.

He explained that members of the camp cherish education and have continued to make tremendous progress in their educational pursuit with about 30 of them attending different universities. He noted that 25 of them gained admission into university. “Six out of the 25 are to study Medicine and Surgery, eight of them are studying Nursing and Midwifery, while seven are in the university reading law.”