By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna The Chairman of Zamfara State Indigenes Residents in Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Garba, has pl...
The Chairman of Zamfara State Indigenes Residents in Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Garba, has pledged to enroll and sponsor children displaced by banditry who are currently out of school in Kaduna.
Garba said the initiative is designed to ensure that pupils who started basic education in their communities in Zamfara are able to complete their schooling, while graduates of senior secondary school among the displaced population will also be supported to further their education.
He made the pledge in an interaction with newsmen at the union’s secretariat in Kaduna.
According to him, the education intervention has already been captured in the forum’s agenda to provide support not only to Zamfara citizens settled in Kaduna, but also to those who fled the state due to insecurity.
“This initiative is already enshrined in my agenda to provide an avenue that will assist positively, not only the citizens settled in Kaduna, but also Zamfara indigenes who ran from the menace of insecurity in their communities,” Garba said.
The chairman, a former military officer, said he has been involved in the union’s activities for years and was the first elected chairman of the association.
“Despite the challenges encountered, I managed to overcome them. We have successfully launched the new office of the union, and I am also the first elected chairman of the association,” he added.
Garba also disclosed that the forum recently distributed food items to hundreds of refugees who fled their homes in Zamfara and are now settling within Kaduna metropolis.
He said the gesture was to cushion the hardship faced by families uprooted by violence, many of whom are women and children with little or no means of livelihood.
The forum chairman commended Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, for his support and cooperation with the association. He also acknowledged former Governor Abdul’azeez Yari Abubakar, Senator Ikra Bilbis, Zannan Bungudu, Katukan Tsafe Engineer Abdullahi Abdulkarim, and former Tsafe Local Government Chairman Aliyu Abubakar MC for their contributions to Zamfara indigenes living outside the state.
Garba particularly hailed Governor Lawal for his “tireless efforts” and for maintaining a firm stance against negotiating with bandits.
“The governor has shown commitment to restoring peace in Zamfara. His refusal to negotiate with criminals has given hope to our people,” he said.
Insecurity in Zamfara has forced thousands of residents to flee to neighboring states in the North West in recent years, with many children dropping out of school as a result. Community-based associations have increasingly stepped in to provide welfare and educational support for displaced families.
The Zamfara Indigene Residents Association in Kaduna says it will work with relevant stakeholders, including the Kaduna State Ministry of Education and humanitarian agencies, to identify beneficiaries and ensure transparency in the sponsorship program.
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