Manzo: Rising Up To Challenge Of Corporate Responsibility

An agricultural firm, AgroLog Nigeria Ltd, recently embarked on a two-day programme aimed at providing succour to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), mostly in southern parts of Kaduna. SIMON REEF MUSA, who was on the trail of this humanitarian endeavour recaptures highpoints of an event that calls on the urgent need for business firms to join hands in the alleviation of sufferings unleashed on victims of violence and incessant attacks

It is no news that Kaduna State has become a playground for violence and bloodshed unleashed by terror gangs and criminal elements. Not only are thousands driven out of their ancestral homes, surviving the hard times has become a huge challenge and too difficult to be endured by the IDPs. Mostly affected by these rounds of violence are communities found in the southern part of Kaduna State. Before now, there was hardly a week gone by without reports of attacks on communities, with thousands displaced and several homes razed down.

Arising from the traumatising humanitarian challenge caused by the absence of basic human needs that have left many IDPs in dire needs, the former Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture and the Chief Executive Officer of an agric firm, AgroLog Nigeria Ltd, Dr. Maigari Manzo, recently embarked on two-day visits to IDP camps with the sole purpose of providing foodstuff and healthcare needs for victims of violence and deadly attacks. The need to alleviate the pains of IDPs attracted the human milk of kindness through deploying the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of his firm to provide succour to the less-privileged.

In collaboration with a Kaduna-based Non-governmental Organisation, RADi, for seamless distribution of palliatives to victims of these bloody attacks, the agric firm undertook visits to no fewer than four IDP camps in the state with the sole target of reaching out to 10,000 families in the state.

President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Hon Jonathan Asake, described AgroLog’s humanitarian service as unprecedented and commended Dr. Manzo for embarking on such a venture in a period fraught with hopelessness and despair.  He called on businesses in Kaduna and Nigeria to emulate Manzo whose actions were devoid of any form of political motives and considerations.

“In the face of the sufferings caused by ceaseless attacks on communities in Southern Kaduna, I commend the initiative of Dr. Manzo whose firm has deemed it wise to embark on reaching out to victims of these attacks,” Hon Asake noted.

Hon Asake, who witnessed the formal commencement on the first day of the exercise at Angwar Zawu in Gonin Gora, declared that the gesture of Dr. Manzo should serve as a challenge to citizens and firms whose businesses are located in Kaduna State.

“If companies operating in Kaduna State and their owners emulate Dr. Manzo in reaching out to victims of violence , the problems being faced by these IDPs will be a thing of the past. Considering the palliatives being set aside and the amount of money used in the purchase of these items, I can only pray to God to bless AgroLog and prosper their businesses,” the SOKAPU President said.

Leading the visits to these IDP camps, Dr. Manzo, in company of his wife, Juliana, and members of staff of the company to the formal commencement of the exercise, told newsmen that the company deployed N20 million for foodstuff and other health products, among other essential materials and services, to various IDP camps in the state.

Cries Of Abandonment In Zawu Camp

At Angwar Zawu in Goni Gora near the Kaduna metropolis, where the IDPs have lived in the past two years, it was a harrowing experience of misery and dejection. They recalled dark periods of uncertainties and how only good spirited individuals, groups and organisations have continued to provide for them. They not only called for kind-hearted citizens to come to their assistance, they also called on the government to come to their help and guarantee their safety. The Coordinator of the Camp, Mr. Habila Madami, explained that since their displacement and eventual arrival in the camp, the government was yet to offer any form of assistance, “but we are only being assisted by individuals and groups”.

“We have been here for over two years, and only kind people and organisations like yours have come to our aid. We are more than this, but our members have left the camp to engage in farming in order to take care of their families. Living in an IDP camp is not in our character. We want to go back to our ancestral lands if only we can be assured of our safety,” Madami said.

Another IDP taking refuge in Angwar Zawu camp, Mrs. Martha Stephen Yari, recalled they were displaced in 2018 from Badna village in Chikun Local Government Area of the state. According to her: “Our community was attacked many times, but on that particular day in 2018, the bandits stormed our community and kidnapped many people, including men, women and children, with some people killed. That was when we realized that the situation had gone out of hand and we had run for our dear lives. We could not even pack our belongings as we just left for our own safety.

“We just left our community without any idea of where we were going to. Survival was the most important thing to us at that time. We trekked so many kilometers before we were able to get a vehicle that brought us to Kaduna. When we got to Kaduna, we came to one of our uncles who had left the village a long time ago to Gonin Gora. He was the one who went to meet the Gonin Gora community leaders and facilitated the allocation of this community primary school to us.”

“Now, we have spent two years here, yet we cannot access our villages. The bandits have taken over our villages and rustled our cattle. One of my uncles who went there to study the situation of the village was killed. Several other people who had gone on such missions have either been killed or kidnapped. That is why we are still here, living on charity.”

Mrs. Juliana Manzo advised victims of attacks to be prayerful, and expressed the hope that their current situation would soon change for the better. Moved by the desolation pervading the camp and despairing faces that stared at her, Mrs Manzo assured the IDPs that a new dawn was about to break forth and that the present darkness shall soon become a thing of the past.

Tales Of Woes In Rimau

A visit to Rimau, another camp in the same local government area was fraught with harrowing pains associated with the travails of the displaced populace. Coming from many villages in various parts of the Adara ethnic group, the displaced persons, comprising aged men, women and children posed a sorry sight. Not only did they appeal for a quick intervention from both the Federal and Kaduna State Government, they pasionately appealed to good spirited citizens to come to their help.

Former Special Adviser (Media) to Governor Patrick Yakowa, Mr Reuben Buhari, recalled the rounds of violence and bloodshed that have trailed Adara communities. He said the Adara people have suffered attacks and some of their towns and villages ruined.

“Most the people you see in this camp come from towns and villages across the River Kaduna. They have suffered incessant attacks but have refused to give up.  They have continued to hope against hope and only good spirited individuals have contributed to assist them stand the harsh weather of survival,” Buhari recalled.

A middle aged woman, who identified herself as Martha, lamented that she was the only survivor in her family during an attack on her village. She called on government and relevant security agencies to provide security as they desirous of returning their villages.  Martha bemoaned the fact that she was the only survivor in her family, and thus, “I have nowhere to go but live here”.

Zonkwa IDP Camp

With the team members concluding their visit early in the second day of the programme, the AgroLog convoy headed to yet another IDP camp located in Zonkwa in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State. On arrival, they were received by the Coordinator of the Mercy Camp, Rev. Gambo Waziri, who was represented by Mr David Audu Nyat. The sight of foodstuff sent excitement across the camp as the representative of the camp coordinator would later tell the team that the Zonkwa IDP camp was facing food shortages. He thanked Agrolog for intervening at the right time in providing succour to the suffering victims of violence.

“We never knew how we could feed these IDPs tomorrow as we are presently experiencing food shortages. With your coming, God has answered our prayers. We thank you greatly for this show of love. We call on other kind-hearted corporate organisations to follow your footsteps and help alleviate the pains of these IDPs that have found themselves in these distressing conditions. No fewer than 30 children were born in this camp. We are calling on the Federal and Kaduna State Government to provide security and restore peace to our communities so that we can return to our ancestral homes and continue with our lives”, he said.

Nyat said the displaced persons, mostly women and children, came from Gora, Abuyab, Matei and other villages that were recently attacked by suspected herdsmen. He prayed to God to bless the kind-hearted disposition of the Agrolog’s Chief Executive and his staff.

‘Samaru Kataf Once Accommodated 7,000 IDPs’

When the AgroLog team arrived at the Samaru Kataf IDP camp, located in the Widows’ Training School, Dr Manzo and his entourage were received by Dr Michael M. Dogo. The Samaru Kataf camp is a creation of the collaborative effort of both the ECWA of Samaru Kataf DCC and Atyap Community Development Association (ACDA).

According to him, the camp once served as refuge to now fewer than 7,000 IDPs who were victims of attacks unleashed on Atyap towns and villages by marauding killers. He told his visitors that being Sunday, a day many of the IDPs are engaged in church activities, most members were not on ground to receive Dr. Manzo and his entourage.

“At the peak of these attacks, the camp had about 7,000 displaced persons, but some of them have gone home. So far, the Atyap ethnic group lost about 300 lives, following attacks by the suspected Fulani militia. Houses, foodstuffs among other valuables, were completely destroyed. For now, peace is returning to our towns and villages and villagers are gradually returning to their ancestral homes,” Dr Dogo said.

Expressing thanks and commending Dr Manzo for deploying his milk of kindness to minister to the needs of victims of attacks that have left many towns and communities in ruins and helplessness, Dr Dogo applauded the company for deploying the company’s CSR in identifying with victims of bloodshed and violence.

‘Kafanchan’s IDPs In Relatives’ Homes’

When the Manzo-led team arrived in Kafanchan, all IDPs in Jema’a, now living in the homes of their relatives, had their faces brightened at the sight of the truck that brought palliatives. Gathered in a church, Pastor Gideon Mutum, who is the coordinator of the Kafanchan IDPs, commended Agrolog for its humanitarian initiative and prayed for divine blessing and protection for the owner and staff of AgroLog.  Pastor Mutum recalled that all the IDPs have dispersed to live with their extended family members and lamented that they were not finding it easy to feed.

“Those gathered here are IDPs who are now living with their relatives. Life has become a Herculean task, but they have not given up. They have continued to live in hope in the face of hopelessness. We thank Dr. Manzo for this gesture and we pray for divine blessings for him to do more for humanity,” Pastor Mutum declared.

Manzo’s Message of Hope 

In all the four camps visited during the two-day programme, the CEO of AgroLog appealed to victims of murderous attacks not to cave in to despair, insisting that the future is for those who have hope. The visits, according to Manzo, was not only to provide succour but to raise hope and assure the displaced people that amidst the darkness of the present, there was hope.

“I know that the times are difficult and excruciating, but we must never become hopeless. Apart from the foodstuff and healthcare products we have brought to identify with you, our company, AgroLog Nigeria Ltd, has finalised plans in assisting farmers presently engaged in ginger farming through provision of inputs for wealth generation. We are committed to empowering ginger farmers through provision of seedlings and bringing more farmers into the value chains of ginger production for empowerment,” he said.

Dr. Manzo said since ginger is largely cultivated and profitable in the southern part, he assured the IDPs that with peace gradually returning to the area, AgroLog Nigeria Ltd plans to engage 40,000 locals for ginger farming as means of enhancing the living standards of ginger farmers.

Apart from the four camps visited, the distribution of palliatives was to continue in other communities not captured in the two-day programme across ethnic and religious divides. There is no doubt that the two-day programme not only offered an opportunity for the deployment of Corporate Social Responsibility of a humane corporate organisation for public good but also brought to the fore the need to engage corporate organisations to join in the efforts of providing relief materials to victims of violence and other forms of attacks in not only Kaduna State but also Nigeria.