NIMASA Empowers Nasarawa IDPs with Working Machines

Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia

The Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) yesterday empowered the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nasarawa State with working machines as part of its corporate social responsibility.

The Director General of the NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, donated the working machines to the state IDPs in Lafia through the Assistant Director of Seafarers Services, NIMASA, Dr. Amos Hosea Kuje, in the office of the state’s deputy governor.

A breakdown of the donation by the NIMASA were 15 sewing m,achines, 10 grinding machines, 10 work master welding machines, 50 hair clippers with bags and complete barbing accessories and 15 vulcanising machines.

Other machines donated were 10 units of 1.8KVA generators, two tricycles (Keke Napep), four Bajaj Boxer motorcycles, 15 water surface pumping machines and two sugarcane electric extractors.

Speaking shortly after donating the empowerment machines to the IDPs, the Director General of the NIMASA said the issue of displaced persons was not just about what they would eat, but focusing on how to engage them back to the society.

Jamoh said: “I believe with the items the agency donated to them, if they begin to use, they will begin to impact on the society. The agency is focusing on the empowerment of displaced persons to reconnect them to the society. It is meant to take care of IDPs’ mental and psychological imbalance.”

Receiving the donated machines on behalf of the Governor of Nasarawa State, the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, said there are quite a number of IDPs in Nasarawa State ranging from herders/farmers clashes which was curtailed and the farmers were beginning to go back to their farms.

The deputy governor, therefore, assured the NIMASA that the state government would distribute the items to the beneficiaries transparently.

“After we finished dispensing the machines, we will give a report to the NIMASA on who get what and what they are doing with it,” Akabe said.