A UK based Charity Organisation, PZ Cussons Foundation, has donated two solar powered water supply systems to a pastoral community in Wuro Ahmadu at Gongoshi grazing reserve in Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa.
Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the foundation, handed over the project to the community on Wednesday in Wuro Ahmadu village.
Lambo , a former minister of health, noted that the project was meant to complement Federal and State Government efforts in preventing frequent clashes between farmers and herders.
He said that the foundation was a charity organisation, established in 2007, for corporate social investment programmes and was not meant for profit making.
“Today, we are glad that this pastoral project that we are commissioning and handing over to the communities will help to address some challenges facing the pastoralists that include water for them and for their livestock.
“The foundation will be glad to see that the facilities are well run, maintained and sustained for the well being of beneficiary communities,” Lambo said.
Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, who was represented by Mr Abubakar Mahmud, the Permanent Secretary, state Ministry for Livestock Development, thanked the foundation for the giant effort.
Fintiri said that the project came at the right time when government and relevant stakeholders were making ways forward to control and resolve the farmers and herders issues in the country.
He called on various organisations to emulate the foundation’s gesture, pledging the state government’s readiness to work with any developmental organisation like the foundation.
Malam Aminu Chiroma, the National Chairman, Pastoral Resolve (PARE), an NGO, said the development was not only unique but historic, noting that it is the first time of its kind a private sector intervened to support the marginalised pastoralists.
He said the project came at a time when pastoralists were facing daunting challenges as a result of deadly conflicts between them and the farming communities.
“We are grateful to the foundation. We can see clear effort towards promoting peaceful coexistence as well as humanitarian intervention,” Chiroma said.
The chairman assured that the facilities would be judiciously utilised and protected from activity of vandals.
He said the project would address the water need of over 1,000 members of the community and about 20,000 livestock.

-NAN

BE

– July 10, 2019 @ 12:40 GMT /