By ABAH SUNDAY, Abuja
Minister of Steel Development Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu has donated N3.5 million plus some relief items to victims of the 4th April brutal attack allegedly unleashed by herdsmen and bandits on Omala local government area(LGA) of Kogi State which left 25 people gruesomely murdered, several injured, displaced or still missing.
The Igala-born Steel Minister who hails from Kogi, the host state of the famous-but-yet-uncompleted Ajaokuta Steel project, started 4 decades ago as the bedrock of Nigeria’s industrialisation, made the donations during his visit to the state at the weekend.
Prince Audu, who was received at the local government headquarters in Abejukolo by the local government chairman, members of the local government council, traditional rulers, and members of the community, expressed his sympathy over unfortunate incident, a statement from the ministry revealed.
Speaking at the Local Government Secretariat, Prince Audu noted that as the representative of the people of Kogi State at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) it was of great importance for him to personally visit the affected local government to see the level of destruction, understand the root cause of the crisis for the best interventions and solutions.
The Minister made a personal donation of N2.5 million naira and some relief items to the victims from Agojeju-Odo community currently living at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camp and those in the hospital as part of efforts to ameliorate their plights, as well as N1 million to some other people in the community.
“As a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I have a sense of duty and obligation to Kogi State, and by extension, Igala land, and so, I have come to Omala today personally to show sympathy and commiserate with my people over the ill-fated incident that befell Agojeju-Odo community in Omala local government, which left many of our people dead, with a lot injured, missing and displaced from their homes.
“Coming here today, I have listened to all that the local government chairman has said, explaining the root cause of these lingering clashes. Be sure for me to take this to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, and the Executive Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, for their prompt intervention.
“On personal grounds, I am donating the sum of 3.5 million naira and some relief items to the victims of the attack who are in the IDPs camps and in the hospital as my own support to ameliorate their pains.
“I have come to show my people that I love them sincerely. My father, Prince Abubakar Audu, was an individual who loved the Igala people. He fought and died for the liberation of the Igala people, and it is a struggle that continues. As the son of Prince Abubakar Audu, no one can love Igala Land more than me.
“I also learned from my father that it is difficult to run the state on the basis of one ethnicity, but on a broad-base strategy that would carry everyone along.
“There are lots of stories and blackmail that are being conducted and peddled around the social media space, which I urge you all to disregard. It is in our interest to put things in place that will move our Igala nation forward,” Prince Audu stated.
Visiting the IDPs Camp, he assured them of his commitments to rally the federal and state governments to put an end to the terror in their communities and enable them to live their normal lives again.
Earlier, Chairman of Omala Local Government, Hon. Mark Edibo, thanked the Minister for his high-level visit, which he said shows how much the people meant to him, just like his late father, Prince Abubakar Audu.
Edibo said that upon assuming duty as Local Government Chairman in January, he took proactive steps to intervene in the crises in the affected community, which included invasions from the border communities of Benue and Nasarawa States.
He urged the collaborative efforts of the federal and state governments to end the crisis, while calling for the establishment of a naval base and an Army Base in Bagana, the community at the centre of the dispute.
In his remarks, His Royal Highness, Paul Achor, Acting Chairman, Omala Traditional Council, and Ogohi of Akpacha, also thanked the Honourable Minister for his visit, adding that he has proven himself as a true son of the land.
In appreciation of the Minister’s highly esteemed visit, the Ogohi of Akpacha also bestowed upon the Minister the Chieftaincy Title: Olimene Onu-Ife of Omala.
The Minister also visited the Attah of Igala, His Royal Majesty, Mathew Opaluwa, at his palace in Idah where he paid homage to the Royal Father on the just celebrated Eid-el-Fitri and to condole with him over the killings in Agojeju-Odo in Omala LGA.
The Minister’s visit to the Attah of Igala, according to a statement, also aimed to discuss issues bordering on how to move the entire Igala Nation forward with respect to unity, peace, development, and progress in the land.