As part of a humanitarian drive to support and give succour to vulnerable homes and families in the society, Bella Amor Global Aid Foundation, a non-profit organisation, in collaboration with Nigeria Customs Service, has distributed over 2,500 bags of rice and thousands of school bags to communities in five local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.
The local government areas that benefitted from the first phase of this project are; Esit Eket, Essien Udim, Nsit Ubium, Etinan, Nsit Atai, and Mkpat Enin.
Speaking during the distribution exercise, President and Founder of the Foundation, Mrs. Mirabel Etuk said the distribution of food to the downtown in the communities and school bags to pupils and students was part of effort by her Foundation and the Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) Unit of Nigeria Customs Service to ameliorate the food challenge of the people.
She stated that as a humanitarian organisation that has existed in the last six years, creating visible impacts and touching several lives in Lagos and many other states in Nigeria, it was berthing in Akwa Ibom for the first time, with a strong collaboration with a reputable federal government institution that had also been involved in transforming lives of ordinary Nigerians.
“I must say that our partnership with Nigeria Customs Service will continue to do more and bring more projects to this state.
” Bella Amor Global Aid Foundation is a non-profit organisation, and we have been in a existence for the past six years. We have been doing humanitarian projects in several states, including Lagos. But this is the first time we have come to Akwa Ibom to do projects”.
The President of the Foundation therefore, appreciated Comptroller -General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for institutionalising the welfare of poor Nigerians through the creation of Corporate Social Responsibility Unit in Nigeria Customs Service.
She also thanked the Comptroller, Corporate Social Responsibility Unit, MP Ibrahim, whom she said had been assiduous in collaborating with NGOs, handling the CSR Unit effectively, and producing results.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller -General of Nigeria Customs Service, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi said the establishment of CSR Unit of the Service was to support and strengthen the federal government’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programme in the areas of health, education, environmental sustainability, creative economy, among others.
The Comptroller -General, who was represented by Comptroller in- charge of CSR Unit, MP Ibrahim, stressed that, by establishing the Unit, it showed the involvement of Nigeria Customs Service in humanitarian affairs beyond just revenue collections it might have have been known for.
” It is with joy that I stand to represent my Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service. For his compassion for humanity, he decided to create the CSR Unit of NCS, in order to give back to society.
” The CSR Unit is hinged on the SDGs of the federal government, among which are health, education, environmental sustainability, creative economy, and others. Out of all the Goals, our Comptroller-General, in his wisdom, decided that CSR Unit would have six pillars. This is to help take care of some of those Goals”.
The Comptroller-General, who commended Bella Amor Global Aid Foundation for understanding the place of partnership in achieving her organisation’s objectives, emphasised that this would help surmount the challenges of access to food, particularly in communities where food is not in want, but in need.
While rolling out the items, Comptroller in -charge of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, MG Dauda, disclosed that over 2,500 bags of 10g and 5kg bags had been arranged for distribution.
He assured that the next phase would cover other local government areas that the first phase would not reach.
Comptroller MP Dauda commended the President of the Foundation, Mrs. Mirabel Etuk, for her decision to target the vulnerable through partnership with Nigeria Customs Service.
Commissioner, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Princess Emem Ibanga, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Eno Akpan, noted with satisfaction, the achievements of Governor Umo Eno through the Ministry, insisting that his compassionate disposition had led to the provision of homes for the poor, empowerment for widows, women and youths in the state.
The Commissioner therefore, appreciated the President of Bella Amor Global Aid Foundation for thinking humanity, an action she believed would complement the humanitarian efforts being made by the Akwa Ibom State Government to improve quality of lives of its people.
The exercise had in attendance, officers and men of Nigeria Customs Service, members of Bella Amor Global Aid Foundation, friends of the Foundation, among others.
