By Young E. Freeborn, Warri
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp created for the people of Okuama community at Ewu Grammar School, Ewu-Urhobo in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State was recently agog as a non-governmental organisation in the state, Prince Oghenerukevwe Okifo Foundation (POOF) presented relief materials to members of the camp.
The items, said to be worth millions of naira, ranged from packs of rice, groundnut oil, packets of tissue papers, packets of sanitary pads, cartoons of branded notebooks, packs of pens, pencils, erasers and packets of pampers
Making the presentation at the Okuama IDP camp, the founder and CEO of the foundation, Prince Oghenerukevwe Okifo, who was accompanied by other top members of the foundation said, “We are here today based on what happened to the Okuama people recently.
“Many of them are displaced and the entire community is dilapidated as a result of the attack. This is why they are taking refuge here at Ewu Grammar School until the community would be fully rebuilt.
“We are here to sympathize with them for the pains and agony they are passing through. As a well known foundation in the state, we bring these relief materials to give comfort and also share with them.
“What we bring here may not be much as expected, but we want to appeal to the camp commandant and all the people in the camp to happily accept all the relief materials from us.
“I want to use this medium to thank the governor of Delta State for responding on time to the pains of the Okuama people. He should continue to work on how the Okuama people can be rehabilitated very soon and go back to their community to start a new life.”
Also speaking at the event, the secretary of the Prince Oghenerukevwe Okifo Foundation (POOF), Hon. Desmond Okpako, a former councillor from Evwreni Ward, said, “We are here to partner with the Delta State government in providing relief materials to these victims of war in Okuama community.
“However, I want to plead with the Delta State government based on the complaints presented to us today by the members of the IDP camp. They said that, all their cassava farms are being harvested by unknown persons at Okuama community. Therefore, I want to join them to call on our listening governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to work fast on how the entire community can be rebuilt and bring these people back to their community.
“During this period of rehabilitation and rebuilding of the community, the government should also provide very tight security to protect the Okuama people’s farms from theft. Therefore, the IDP camp management team should make good use of the little relief materials we bring to them to provide satisfaction and comfort to all the members.”
Receiving the relief materials from POOF Foundation on behalf of the IDP camp commandant and members, Comr. Sunny White Orode, the Assistant Commandant of the camp thanked the foundation saying, “On behalf of the Okuama IPD Camp, I want to happily thank the founder and CEO of the foundation, Prince Oghenerukevwe Okifo for this kind gesture.
“What you have done today is worthy of emulation by other rich Urhobo people and groups and foundations like this very one. You and your foundation have made members of this IDP camp to breathe air of respite all through this very period.
“This foundation have put smiles on the faces of all the members of this IDP camp especially the school children for the provision of educational items like notebooks, pens, pencils and erasers. This is to make the children to develop a high urge to go back to school.
“This is why we want to call on the Delta State government to work very fast on the rehabilitation of the Okuama community so that these school children can immediately go back to school. Even though the government is trying to provide the needs of the people here, there is no place like home. Once again, we thank Prince Oghenerukevwe Okifo Foundation for this valuable contribution.”
The highlight of the visit was the presentation of cash gifts to ten nursing mothers that gave birth to babies at the camp. The cash donations were done by the wife of the founder and CEO of the POOF Foundation, Mrs. Oghenerukevwe Okifo. The ten nursing mothers offered prayers for the founder and members of the foundation to excel greatly.
