US based organization doll out N3.5 million for projects in Northern Nigeria.
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By Daniel Agada, Jos Plateau State Government have relaxed curfew in Jos North Local Government Area as well as lifted the ban earlier placed on the operation of tricycles popularly known as Keke. A decision came after a meeting of the state security council held on Monday 6th September,2021, at New Government House Little Rayfield Jos, where Governor Simon Lalong approved that beginning from Tuesday 7th September, 2021, the curfew in Jos North will be enforced from 10pm to 6am. This was contained in a press statement signed by the director of press and public affairs to the Governor Dr. Makut Macham. According to the statement "this will tally with the current status of the curfew in Jos South and Bassa Local Government Areas which still remains from 10pm to 6am. "Similarly, Governor Lalong also approved that beginning from Tuesday 8th September 2021, the ban placed on operations of tricycles will be lifted from 6am to 6pm daily. This means that no tricycle will be allowed to operate between the hours of 6pm to 6am. "However, the ban on motorcycles within the Jos/Bukuru Metropolis remains intact as enforcement will continue to ensure that violators are arrested and punished according to the law. "The Government is working on innovations, legislations and enforcement modules for enhancing the security, effectiveness and availability of public transportation in the State, which will be unveiled in due course and is expected to address the major concerns of the citizens particularly as it relates to the safety of passengers". The statement further said "Governor Lalong while appreciating the cooperation and understanding of the citizens during the period of the attacks and subsequent curfews, urges them to continue to support Government in restoring normalcy to enable the State resume its normal trajectory of hospitality, opportunity and productivity.
By Daniel Agada ,Jos
An International organization known as ‘Zumunta Association USA International’ on Tuesday presented over N3.5 million naira Cheques to seven Non Governmental Organisations NGOs as funding for the upliftment of the vulnerable and children in Northern Nigeria.
The National President of the body, Philip Moses said Zumunta is a non profit cultural community organization based in the Diaspora is spread across 12 states of the United States of America.
Moses said, the body operates under the 5013c status of the United States Internal Revenue Service tax laws. “Zumunta Association USA was founded in 1991 by late Dr Musa Kallam Muazu.”
He disclosed that “Zumunta’s pinnacle pet project has been the scholarship programme to which we have supported our less privileged individuals attending Universities in Nigeria.”
The contributions he said has subsistence support for “tuition and fees including books, accommodation and allowances of 50,000 that has been reviewed over the years to 70,000 to meet up with the rate of inflation.
“Last year, we disbursed and paid out a total of two million, two hundred and forty thousand naira only,” he stated.
The President narrated thus, “Zumunta scholarship programme started since in 1998 and we are pleased to note that with the assistance of the scholarship, the first set of the beneficiaries graduated in 2015 and we have graduated several number of sets of students and counting from various universities across the Nation since its inception that have benefitted from the programme.”
He said the group comprised of individuals of Northern Nigeria extractions from the 19 Northern states including the Federal capital territory, “We are determined to better the lives of citizens of Nigeria .”
He said the body with its limited resources has been involved in benevolent projects and have even reached out to people of other countries through the Red Cross, during natural disasters such as the earthquake disasters in Haiti in 2010 and the flood disasters in the Philippines in 2018 .
“Zumunta has also embarked on some projects like renovation of primary schools in Nok, Jaba local government and the drilling of potable water borehole in Nasarawa Eggon.”
The Commissioner for Special duties and Non Governmental organization Hon Irimiya Jerry Werr who also spoke at the occasion lauded the initiative of the organisation.
He said the Lalong led adminstration is always willing to partner with any organisation that would impact positively to the wellbeing of it’s citizens and called on the beneficiaries of the group to impact positively on the society .
Some of the beneficiaries from Kogi State Amina Daniya Hamzat who operates the “Support for Ebira Women and Girl Initiative” project expressed her gratitude for the gesture and recognition stressing that the funds given to the NGO would go a long way to lessen the barrage of problems it is confronted with.
“I assure you that this fund will be judiciously utilized for the very purpose for which it was disbursed for. “
The seven benefiting states are Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Kogi and Borno state in Nigeria with each implementing organization receiving N500,000 each.
