Usman Abubakar Faruq
The umbrella body of Southern Kaduna indigenes, Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) based in Jigawa state has organized its cultural day and lunching of their Almanac in which various cultural activities were displayed at an event held at the premises of the Jigawa state library.
During the launching of the Almanac over N200, 000 were realized as a contribution that will also be used move the Union forward; the major contribution came from the chief launcher in a person of Ibrahim Danjuma who donated N30, 000.
Other donors include Dutse Emirate who purchased a copy of the almanac at the cost of N20, 000 while one Hajiya Hadiza Adamu Chiroma purchased a copy at the rate of N10, 000, as well as Kubuli Danmaraya, also purchased a calendar at the same amount of N10, 000.
While delivering his speech the chairman of the association Musa Bala said SUKAPU is a collection of different ethnic groups residing in the southern part of Kaduna state and a very loving and friendly group of people who are always ready to extend hands of friendship with people across the border.
Adding further he said that SOKAPU is a non-governmental, non-political, non-religious body union, but rather that it is a union with humanitarian objective and having a symbolic relation among its members and immediate community.
The chairman stated that the main objective of establishing the union is to empower the people to raise their living standard in accordance with the international minimum standard of welfare as defined by united nation and its agencies.
He explained further that their mission is to empower their people to enjoy the rights and freedom enshrined in the Nigerian constitution and international chatters, covenants, and conventions.
The chairman said the union has attained various achievements which include the noble act which was carried out by the emirate council by uplifting the community of SOKAPU and turbaning one of their members as Sarkin SOKAPU by his Royal Highness Emir of Dutse Dr. Nuhu Muhammed Sunusi.
He also added that Jigawa state government has given them land via the emirate council, “it is a great achievement for us,” the chairman has said.
Lamenting further he said that the union is facing a shortage of funds to develop the land donated to them by the Jigawa state government and other projects at hand, the chairman, however, call on the wealthy individual within and outside Kaduna and Nigeria, in general, to come to their aid and assist them financially.
