Jos, Plateau - Nigeria — The ECOWAS Commission on Tuesday, 13th July 2010 donated various items valued at $100,000 to the victims of the recent Jos crisis which claimed more than 500 lives while another 5,000 were displaced. Among the Items donated were bags of rice, beans and garri, palm oil, corrugated iron sheets, jerry cans, buckets, blankets and sanitary towels.
The Commissioner for Human Development and Gender, Dr. Adrienne Diop presented the items to Alhaji Alhassan Barde, the Acting Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), who received them on behalf of the victims. Dr Diop who represented the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Victor Gbeho, said the gesture was part of the Commission's effort to mitigate the impact of the crisis on the victims. She also said it is consistent with the determination of the Commission to impact on the lives of those at the grassroots in the ECOWAS Region in line with its drive to transform the Community into a place where citizens directly enjoy the dividends of integration. Dr Diop further noted that while ECOWAS will continue to strive to improve on its modest contribution to disaster victims, it will not relent in its effort to implement its Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Peacekeeping and Security.
She commended partners who intervened during the crisis especially the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC) and the National Society of the Red Cross (NSRC) for their marvellous contributions to the success of the handover. Alhaji Barde, commended the Commission for the gesture and used the opportunity to urge Plateau state citizens to "maintain the peace that has been achieved in order to enhance the realisation of democratic dividends and general development" in the state. Represented at the occasion were the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA), the National President and the Secretary General of the NSRC. ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development & Gender, Dr Adrienne Diop (3rd from left) presents one of the relief items to a beneficiary. She is flanked by the Secretary General, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Bello Hamman Diram (2nd from left), Alhaji Hassan Nuhu, Representative of the D.G. NEMA (1st from left) the Vice President, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Deacon Timothy Oladele (4th from left) and the ECOWAS Director for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Daniel Eklu (1st from right).