A Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Life Impact Charity Network International (LICNI), has empowered the mother of Bilikisu Usman, a maltreated 12 year-old girl in Kogi, with foodstuffs business.
Bilikisu Usman, a 12 year-old girl from Dekina LGA, who was staying with her aunt in Ajaokuta was severely battered and injured in her right upper arm by her aunt sometimes in late December 2019.
The case was reported at the police station by a neighbour and the woman was subsequently arrested and she is currently facing trier at the court of law.
The LICNI constructed a kiosk loaded with foodstuffs for business and donated it to Omege Hassan, the mother of Bilikisu, who hailed from Okete community in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Mr Wabara Emeka Gerald, the Vice President and Head of Administration of LICNI, while handing over the foodstuff shop to Bilikisu’s mother, noted that the NGO has also been able to return the poor girl back to school.
”We have set up a small foodstuff business for her mother that would enable her to take care of the girl and enhance their standard of living.
”If we think more of others and less of ourselves, Africa will be a better place for all of us. We are here to give African and Nigeria something different.
”Our vision is to ensure the emergence of one African and jointly fight poverty in our own little way and fight all manner of abuses and dehumanization against the girl and boy child, the women and men alike.
”Kogi is lucky because this is the first project we are handling in the entire African and not just Nigeria”, Gerald said.
Gerald noted that the NGO Project Coordinator in the North Central brought the issue about the molested poor little girl to the knowledge of the organization, and they decided to intervene.
”We took interest in the humanitarian aspect of Bilikisu’s case.knowing that the police and other NGO are already handling the legal aspect.
”The only reason a mother who carried a child for nine month and eventually delivered, could give out that child as domestic servant is because of poverty and that is our main focus,” he said.
Also speaking, Pastor (Mrs) Roseline Alabi, the Welfare Director of LICNI, said that the NGO was established by like minded, good hearted and humanitarian servants of Nigeria extraction, resident in the United Kingdom.
Alabi noted that Nigeria and indeed Africa was facing serious challenges fueled by potential activities such as hunger, illiteracy, strike, abuse, lack of social amenities as a result of poverty.
She added that as a responsible and responsive organisation they have come to intervene in the case of the indigent woman and her girl child.
Alabi commended Kogi Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajia Fatima Buba, for giving the members of the NGO audience out of her busy schedule during their courtesy visit to her office on Friday.
The team from LICNI led by Mr Wabara Emeka Gerald, had on Friday paid a courtesy visit to the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajia Fatima Buba, to brief her of the NGO activities and intervention in the state.
Gerald told the commissioner that the LICNI had been able to return the poor girl back to school, and set up a small foodstuff business for her mum, saying, ”by the special grace of God, we will visit the community tomorrow to officially handover the intervention project to her”.
In her remarks, the Commissioner commended the NGO for the wonderful job they are doing, and their great positive impacts in the lives of women and children.
According to Buba, empowering Bilikisu’s mother will enable her to send her daughter to school and improve their welfare, while assuring them of Government support in any area they may dim fit.
The highlight of the humanitarian program is the investiture of LICNI into the National Council Of women Societies (NCWS) Kogi chapter by the new President, Mrs Nancy Aruwa, where the LICNI VP, Wabara Gerald, received the award on behalf of LICNI President and the entire LICNI family at home and in diaspora.
