Moved by the spirit of the yuletide, Ebonyi renowned philanthropist and business mogul, Chief Monday Elom, has distributed various gift items to war victims in the state.
The beneficiaries include over forty-five widows whose husbands were killed in a communal war between the Azuofia Edda community in the Abakaliki Local Goverment Area of Ebonyi State and their neighboring community in Cross River State.
Also in the list of the beneficiaries were over one hundred orphans, the aged and other less privileged persons in the area, who had in one way or another been impoverished in the aftermath of the 2017 communal crisis in the area.
Summitnews reports that Elom who is the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Molompet Nigeria Ltd, yesterday distributed the gift items, which included two huge cows, over one hundred 25-kg bags of rice, cartons of Maggi seasoning, salt, assorted drinks and some undisclosed cash gifts to the war victims, at St Mary’s Primary School, Azuofia Edda.
He told newsmen shortly after the event, that he initiated the program, to cushion the effects of conflict on the people of Azuofia Edda community, adding that they have been abandoned by government, several years after the communal war.
Chief Elom explained that the event had been an annual programme, designed to bring succour to the downtrodden in the war-ravaged community.
The philanthropist, however, commended Governor Francis Nwifuru, for his people oriented government and appealed to stakeholders in the area, to intervene by ensuring adequate provision of social amenities to the people.
His words: “this is a festive period, and I want to celebrate and rejoice with my people, give them the little I have. We are all aware that there was a war that claimed the lives of some people here, our people are suffering here because of the harsh effects of the war. So each time I wake up, I see myself having a very big burden, and that’s why today I said, let’s go to my community to celebrate and share the little I have with my people. We have to come and share the little I have with the orphans, widows, aged people and other less privileged ones. I gave them food, condiments, two cows and cash.”
Continuing, he said, “I also call on the stakeholders, especially our political leaders, well-meaning individuals and organisations, to come and do more in assisting this war-ravaged community, because the people are dying of starvation and lack of essential social amenities. By the special grace of God, in unity, we can do more because I am just a businessman hustling to survive because I have never held any political position. I am just a petty trader, and I know we have some politicians who have strong connections available”
Elom further said, “I am only calling our stakeholders to come and assist us because most of our boreholes are not functioning, and I know with their positions as government officials, they can do better. They should not close their eyes and allow their people to die of starvation, scarcity of potable water, and bad roads. Some of our farmlands have been taken away by the neighbouring community during the war. Those that were affected, do not even have where to farm.”
“Our people are really suffering and if you look at their faces, you will know, because 80 per cent of their farmlands had are taken away, while embargo had been placed on some, in the interest of peace. Some of our people had been rendered homeless as more than five hundred houses were burnt,” he lamented.
The philanthropist also urged political leaders in Ebonyi North Senatorial District, to the on the state government and all the Senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District to join forces with the state government in ameliorating the sufferings of the war victims.
Chief Elom further disclosed that in the nine villages, only one borehole is functional, pointing out that, the entire community is dominated by dilapidated and moribund structures.
“If you look around, you see moribund structures in our primary schools. The structures of the health centres are even the worst. Our children are schooling outside this community because some of our schools were burnt down during the war, and nobody has attempted rebuilding them, no structure and no teacher in any school here. We know that education is the key, but these people have no environment for studies. I appreciate our brother, who is the APC National Treasurer, for his contributions so far, but he has to do more, especially in the area of employment because we have over 150 graduates from different fields of studies in this community without jobs,” Elom emphasised.
Earlier in his remarks, chairman of the occasion, Ogbuefi Emmanuel Nwokpoku, described Chief Elom as a man who has the interest of his people at heart and commended him for the gesture.
On his part, the National Treasurer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Mathew Uguru who was represented at the event by the Coordinator of Enyi-Edda Development Center, Reuben Edeh thanked Mr Elom for bringing succour to the people and called on other illustrious sons of the community to emulate the gesture, in the interest of the development of the area.
He noted that the state government is currently working on modalities to demarcate the disputed land and, while other intervention plans are being worked out, to cushion the effects of the war in the community.
