Today was a historic day as Seven (7) Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) from Seven States in the North smiled home with cheques worth Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000) each from a US-based non-for-profit Cultural Community, Zumunta Association USA, Inc.
The gesture is a palliative project by Zumunta Association to Nigerians as a way of giving back to the Nation and the Northern region.
The aim of the palliative project is to support in alleviating the hardship being witnessed by Nigerians with NGOs carefully selected from Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Kogi State and Borno State to benefit from the humanitarian gesture.
Presenting the cheques to the benefiting NGOs at the Jos Business School, the President of the Association, Mr. Philip Moses said N500,000 is being given to each of the selected NGOs and is expected to reach the neediest in the society such as Internally Displaced Persons owing to the hardship occasioned by the current crisis in Nigeria.
He said detailed reports on how these projects are executed will be expected and as such the funds are being channeled through Chief Ezekiel Gomos, a Zumunta’s Alumna who he said has assisted the association in disbursement of its Scholarship funds to beneficiaries for several years.
Mr. Philip admonished the NGOs to be catalysts that will trigger prosperity.
He said the Association has made great impacts to the people of other Countries in terms of its benevolent projects through the Red Cross, during natural disasters such as the earthquake that ravaged Haiti in 2010 and the flood disasters in the Philippines in 2018.
He disclosed that the Association has also supported individual medical treatment in Nigeria especially the Pioneer TV Artiste “Samanja Mazan Pama”.
He also mentioned the renovation of Primary School in Nok, Jaba Local Government and drilling of potable water borehole in Nasarawa Eggon, Nasarawa State as some of the projects embarked upon by the group.
Worthy of note is the Association’s Scholarship Program which have assisted less privileged individuals studying in Nigerian Universities with subsistence support for Tuition and Fees including books/accommodation of 50,000 which over the years has been reviewed to 70,000 to meet up with the inflation rate.
The Association was also able to disburse Two Million, Two Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira.
“The Zumunta Scholarship Program started since 1998 and we are pleased to note that with the assistance of the Zumunta Scholarship, the first set of the beneficiaries graduated in 2015 and we have graduated several numbers of sets of students and counting from various Universities across the Nation, since its inception that have benefitted from the programme” Mr. Philip said.
Nde Ezekiel Gomos described the gesture as “good news” and lauded the Association for its impact to humanity and the society saying the desired result of the palliative project will be achieved.
He charged the beneficiaries to ensure that the token is put to effective use and reach the target needy persons in the society.
He said the NGOs were carefully selected from their respective States owing to their track records.
The Executive Governor of Plateau State who was represented by the Honorable Commissioner of Special Duties, Intergovernmental Affairs and NGOs, Hon. Irimiya Sauni Werr described the project as laudable and commended Zumunta Association for its contributions to Nigeria and the World at large.
He posited that the project will spark prosperity in the society.
Leaders of the NGOs who spoke appreciated Zumunta Association USA for identifying with the needy and entrusting the funds to the custody.
They assured the association of the judicious utilization of the funds for the purpose for which they were disbursed.
The palliative funds were disbursed to the following Non Governmental Organizations; Kunak Foundation of Kaduna State, Dialogue Reconciliation and Peace Center (DREP) of Plateau State, Nigerian Red Cross Sokoto Branch, Babayo Umar of a Youth & Community Development Organization Kano State, Support for Ebira Women & Girl Child Initiative of Kogi State, Centre for Women, Youth & Community Empowerment (NACWYCA) of Nasarawa State and Care in Nigeria of Borno State.
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