MAIDUGURI MARCH 24, 2017 (CISA) – Bishop Oliver Doeme Dashe of Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, has called on donor agencies to involve religious bodies in the administration of relief aid to internally displaced persons (IDPs).
“If you want your funds or aids to reach the targeted victims of insurgency in the North-east, give it to religious bodies,” said the bishop adding that religious bodies have ready structures that will ensure effective relief distribution.
The bishop was speaking March 17 while hosting Aid for the Church in Need, who had brought relief aid for victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state.
“There are structures already in religious bodies, be it Muslim or Christian that will effectively handle the distribution of relief materials, or even get to buy the relief materials for the affected people,” he said.
“Most of the donations from the western world do not get directly to the targeted people. Whenever interventions come, they always insist it must go through the government agencies and through this, such interventions go directly into the pockets of some individuals. Most of our politicians are corrupt,” said the bishop.
“If the international donor agencies and United Nation’s humanitarian agencies are really serious with helping the victims of insurgency in the North-east, they have to either give the relief materials to religious bodies or get them to be involved in its administration,” he reiterated.
Maiduguri is a hotspot for Boko Haram attacks and several victims rely on aid that comes from foreign countries.
