Nigeria Reform Church Flags Off Over 120 Million Naira Aid Project For Herders' Survivors In Ebonyi Community

BY NDUBUISI NWOGHA ANDY, ABAKALIKI The leadership of Nigeria Reformed Church (NRC) on weekend flagged off the construction and rehabilitation housing projects said to be amounting about over one hundred and twenty million naira for widows at the four affected villages of Izhi speaking people residing in boundary area of Ebonyi and Benue states attacked by Fulani herdsmen last year.

This is as they have drilled four boreholes for the survivors of the herders' attack living in the affected communities. Recall that Fulani herders were on Saturday 30th May, 2021 invaded the four villages of Ndiobashi, Ekpufu, Obokota and Odoke who are Izhi speaking people in a boundary communities of Ebonyi and Benue states. Also recall was that the attack claimed one hundred and seventeen lives with property worth over a billion of naira.

While inaugurating the bore-holes, on Saturday at Nwori Nduobashi Market Square in Ndiegu Ishieke Autonomous Community in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, the National President of the Nigeria Reform Church, most Rev. Johnson Ebeke, disclosed that each of the affected villages including Ndiobashi, Odoke, Ekpufu and Obokota was given one borehole by the Church as a way of helping them to alleviate their sufferings following the merciless attacks by the killer-herdsmen.

The Church also laid foundation of the building projects for the 17 widows drawn out from the affected villages with over 150 other victims to be assisted to rebuild their destroyed houses and shops by their attackers. According to the Reverend, the Church had earlier given palliatives to the victims of the herders' attack in the villages, where they learnt that the people needed more assistance including houses, drinkable water and other necessary amenities to keep life going.

He said the condition of the people attracted the leaders and members of the Church, with the assistance of their brothers in the Netherlands to draw out plan for immediate intervention, starting with the already drilled boreholes and the ongoing building projects in the area. He added that the estimate for the projects is over 120 million Naira and the committee in charge has procured all the needed materials including the drilled four boreholes, zinc, nails, rods, polines, rafters, cement, sand, stones, among others. "We procured 600 bundles of zinc, 300 length of 12mm, 5 bundles 1/4 rods, 200 bags of cement, 500 2×4×18 rafters, 1000 polines of 2×2×12, 7 bags of nail, 2 cartons of zinc nails, and other minor equipments.

Most Rev. Ebeke encouraged the affected people to continue to trust in God, living peacefully among themselves and with full assurance that the building projects would be completed within two months following the flag off ceremony. On his part, the Chairman of the Project Working Committee, Rev. Nicodemus Ibinna Udeh expressed the readiness of the committee to complete the building projects on the stipulated time, noting that the needed materials have been procured. He hinted that the committee under his watch has to be very fast in executing the projects to ensure the beneficiaries relocate to their compounds following the full completion of their houses before rainy season this year. Also, Architect Augustine Nwechara, the Chief Executive Officer of AUSEMAJO - the contractor of the projects assured of quality service delivery and speedy completion of the jobs. The community people including the National Vice President of Ndiegu Ishieke Community, Chief Godwin Nwedeoga, the Nduobashi Village Head - Chief Christopher Ojeogu, the Public Relations Officer of the community - Comrade Friday Nwogbala, a widow who benefited from the building projects, Mrs Elizabeth Nwogbodo, among others commended the members of the Church and described their intervention as a divine and memorable one. Meanwhile, the Church promised to build not more than a 5 bed room flat for each of the 17 widows to enable her to assist other victims for the completion of their houses depending on the size of their families before the rainy season of the year. Highlights of the event were the official presentation of the building materials, laying of the foundation block, commissioning of boreholes and goodwill messages from survivors