40th Anniversary Celebration: Neo Black movement donates drugs, money to Bakassi IDPs

TWO  thousand one hundred internally displaced Bakassi refugees on Thursday afternoon received free medical care from The Neo Black Movement Africa which visited the IDP  camp as part of activities  to mark its 40th anniversary and 39th annual general meeting.

Mr Felix  Kupa , the President of the movement who led the team to the Ikot Eyo camp of the refugees told the  refugees that his organisation outside fighting for justice and  equality in the society also embarks on social and humanitarian activities to meet the welfare of the less privileged  during its annual convention which accounts for the medical outreach.

His word:“We are here as part of our social responsibility as an organisation which believes in the welfare of the people so  during our annual convention, we visit places like prisons, orphanage homes to make contributions  and here in Cross River State we are aware that  you are suffering because you have been displaced since 2013 from your ancestral homes and  to assuage your pains by coming to visit you and make some donations ” .

He said the trip attended to the basic ailments like diabetes, high bold pressure and malaria because those are the most prevalent in the society and the drugs dispensed to those who underwent tests and diagnosis and found to be suffering from any of those ailment   by the medical team should take their drugs  given them in order to improve their health  .

Mr Kupa said over three million naira was spent to purchase the drugs to ensure everyone gets adequate dosage to address his case  while  the sum of five hundred thousand naira is to help them meet  their basic financial needs, particularly  the aged who cannot no longer work to make a living.

“Government cannot be left to do everything as individuals or organisations which are well off should from time to time extend assistance to the less privileged that is why we are leaving the sum of half a million naira to help you meet your basic needs especially the aged among you who cannot work again”

Mr Etim Okon Edet, the Camp leader said inmates of the camp have been dying in large number owing to poverty and diseases and commended the movement  for the visit and assured that money will be adequately distributed to the different  and family .

He said the Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade has regularly paid visits to the camp and provided welfare packages to the inmates but  more still need to be done as the level of poverty and diseases has increased among the people owing the many years of neglect.

In his submission, a representative of the state government and director of relief,Cross River state ,state emergency management agency,(SEMA),Andy Akpotu-Adeshi  commended the effort of NBM towards alleviating the plight of the refugees and praised the movement for supporting the initiative of the state government to improve the living conditions of the IDP and assured them the state government will very happy to continue to work with them.