THE United Towns Agency for North South
Cooperation (UTA), Nigeria chapter, has
taken humanitarian services to a unique
level.
UTA is a United Nations-accredited
non-governmental organisation that has
consultative status with the United Nations
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
As part of its humanitarian services to
assist the underprivileged, the Nigerian
chapter of UTA, on February 3, handed over
a letter of admission for full foreign university scholarship to two victims of insurgency
in one of the internally displaced persons
(IDPs) camps in Abuja.
The scholarship, which covers their instruction, accommodation, feeding and sundry
expenses, is for their four-year programme in the university.
The scholarship was achieved with the
support of the university, Insitut Superieur
Saint Paul de Tarse (ISSPT) based in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
According to the UTA country president,
Princess Abigail Amalaha, who led some
members of the board of trustees and staff
of UTA to the event, the gesture was UTA’s
little way of supporting intelligent students
who found themselves in the camp out of no
fault of theirs.
Explaining that education is the bedrock
of any society, she said that by educating
them, they will become better members of
the society and will be in a better position to
take care of their family and other members
in the camp, who are now looking upon
with operational vehicles, motorbikes
and other equipment to assist them move
around the state and perform their duties.
The day he presented the vehicles, a visibly
angry Ortom said Benue has been pushed
to the wall with persistent attacks on innocent farmers by herdsmen militia and he was not going to sit and fold his hands and
allow his people to be wiped out.
them as role models and worthy ambassadors.
She told them that as ambassadors of
their people in a foreign land, they should
not disappoint both their people and UTA.
She admonished them to live an exemplary
life over there and always be conscious of
their root.
She further stated that the scholarship is
for the pilot test, adding that more of them
will benefit from the scheme in the next
phase.
The beneficiaries are Miss Yohanna Alheri Kitawa, who will study Biotechnology,
and Mr. Godwin Matthias Gatawa, who will
study Political Science.
Expressing joy and appreciation, amidst
tears, on behalf of the family of the recipients and the IDPs, the camp chairman, Mr Philemon Emmanuel,
wondered why the government will be more
interested in rehabilitating the Boko Haram
members whereas they that are victims of
the Boko Haram are left to their fate. “What
an irony of life,” he wondered.
The high point of the handing over ceremony of the admission letters is the feeding of the children at the camp and handing
over of gifts to them by the UTA team.
Philemon Emmanuel, stated that their joy
knows no bound. He said that this type of
gesture is what they have been expecting
from the government. He further explained
that they have been in that camp since 2014
with little or no tangible support from the
various state or federal governments. He
urged other well meaning Nigerians and
NGOs to emulate the good work of UTA.
