By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government in collaboration with the Qatar Charity and Future Leaders from Arab nations Tuesday laid the foundation for the building of a new city comprising 150 houses for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
This was contained in a release signed and issued to newsmen in Sokoto by the Director Press to the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdullahi Abubakar.
The new city to be located at Gandi town of Rabah local government area of the state, will comprise 3 clusters of 50 houses each with a mosque, school, market and hospital.
Flagging off the foundation laying of the first cluster of 50 houses, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal applauded the gesture of the donor organizations for coming to the aid of the Gandi IDPs who have been in distress since 2018 due to their displacement by bandits.
Governor Tambuwal, who was represented by his Deputy, Mannir Mohammed Dan’iya, said the government has made all the arrangements to compensate the land owners where the houses will be built in Gandi town.
While directing all relevant agencies in the state to work round the clock for the speedy completion of the project, the governor assured that the state government is ever ready to join hands with any legitimate International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) whose aim and objectives are to assist humanity in all possible way.
He thanked the Sultanate Council under the leadership of His Eminence Sultan Saad Abubakar for its fatherly role, words of wisdom and encouragement aimed at seeing that the people of Sokoto benefited from gestures coming from international communities.
Speaking at the laying foundation, the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar appreciated the efforts of the Qatar Charity and Future Leaders foundations, pointing out that they are well known organizations with track record of assisting Muslims all over the world.
He thanked them for coming to the aid of the Gandi IDPs with a magnificent modern city to have a permanent settlement away from their places ravaged by bandits and insecurity. He said his Council is willing to partner with them on any future project that will alleviate the suffering of any muslim.
In their remarks, the Qatar Charity and Future Leaders who spoke through Shiekh Elshami Noshiali Elshamy said both organizations have reached an agreement with the Sokoto State Government under the auspices of the Zakkat and Waqf Commission (SOZECOM) to help muslims in need.
He said Sokoto as the centre of Islamic knowledge and propagation, as instituted by the renowned Shiekh Usmanu Danfodio, who struggled to propagate Islam in Sub- Saharan Africa, it is their duty to help in the sustenance of such striving.
It further complements the state government for its efforts in providing numerous projects to its citizenry through SOZECOM. The foundation promised to bring more projects to Sokoto for the benefit of the Muslim Ummah.
