ESIT EKET COMMUNITY, ESIT EKET LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA.
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OBJECTIVES OF THE PARTNERSHIP
1. To help the Bakassi returnees meet their basic and urgent needs due to their precarious plight vis-à-vis provision of insecticide treated nets, insecticides, malaria drugs, etc;
2. To make them understand that Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and RAHI Medical Outreach (RAHI) care for them inspite of their situation;
3. To help extend NDDC milk of human kindness to the Bakassi returnees;
4. To promote health education amongst the returnees and other persons in order to prevent an epidemic out-break of diseases of public health importance like HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases; and
5. Finally, to showcase the good work NDDC is doing in order to ameliorate the plight of the Niger Deltans.
The Community – ESIT-EKET
Esit-Eket is the Headquarters of Esit-Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Esit-Eket Local Government played host to a large number of Bakassi returnees due to ceding of the oil rich Bakassi Pennisula to the Cameroons following the International Court of Justice in the Hague during the Obasanjo’s Administration. Esit-Eket is an agrarian community.
The Programme
Prior to the programme proper, a courtesy call was made to the Chairman of the Local Government Area (LGA) and to the paramount ruler of the community where our operation was made known to them. A visit was also made to the Bakassi camps on arrival of the sixty (60) man team; the team was divided into various committees to ease things as in any other programme; with each committee saddled with its own task. At the end of the programme, the following items were provided:
- 1,000 insecticides;
- 1,500 long acting insecticides treated bed nets (ICONET family size);
- Medications (ACTs for 1,000 patients);
- 500 doses of Dihydro artemisinnim/lumefantrine combination;
- Sinking of water bore hole in the refugee camp;
- 500 doses of Dihydro artemissinim/Piperaqunil/trimethoprim combination;
- World Health Organization (WHO) oral rehydration therapy sachets for 500 children;
- IEC materials; Caps, T-Shirts, Posters;
- 10 tents for Shelter;
- 1,000 Plastic; and
- 1,000 Blankets.
Challenges:
1. Youth Violence: The youths of the community shows a lot of violence, that was quickly responded to by the securities;
2. Inability to differentiate between the Bakassi returnees and the non-returnees;
3. The level of poverty among the people; and
4. Wrong notion about relief operations.
Conclusion
This operation/partnership between NDDC/RAHI has been able to acquaint the people of Bakassi of NDDC, that can meet the plight of the Niger Deltans and give them a bright light in their be-clouded existence.
NDDC should go a step further in publicizing their activities to make their goodwill and activities well known beyond the Niger Delta coverage area.
Sponsors: RAHI/NDDC
Project: Emergency Relief Services
Location: Esit Eket, Akwa Ibom State
Date: 15th – 18th December, 2008