Wife Of Barkin Ladi LGA Chairman, Mrs. Mandyau Advocates Education For  Orphaned Children Killed By Herdsmen

Yakubu Busari

The  Wife of the Chairman, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Mrs. Ruth Ezekiel Mandyau advocated for education to  over 1,000 children orphaned by herdsmen attacks in the LGA are in dire need of education.

 

At least 300 of them below 12, are “homeless and hopeless,” said Mrs. Mandyau in Barkin Ladi, Wednesday.

 

“Over 1,000 internally displaced children lost their both parents during the attacks of last year June but the most vulnerable in our estimation are 300 under-12,” she said.

 

Some of them in her words have been enrolled in local schools by individuals and nongovernmental organizations but majority lack the needed funding.

 

Local authorities according to her have designed various programs to ease the sufferings of IDPs in the LGA but lack resources to implement all.

 

Thus, more NGOs and philanthropies could assist in training the orphans, Mrs. Mandyau stated.

 

She said, “The grown ones among them could be trained in economic skills while the younger ones go to school.

 

“That they have lost their parents does not mean they should lose their future as well.”

 

Feeding of 500

 

At least 500 of the orphaned were treated to a special New Year fanfare organized by the LG’s First Lady.

 

Mrs. Mandyau told journalists that she organized the feast for 300 under-12 orphans from communities hit by herdsmen attacks but more turned up.

 

With only few adults, mostly invited LGC officials in their midst, the kids filled up the high-capacity Youth Center of the LGA in Barkin Ladi town.

 

The selected 300 were uniformly adorned in colourful attire.

 

The kids danced and feasted with the First Ladi, who presented them gifts, including school writing materials.

 

The event climaxed with the cutting of a New Year cake by the LG Chairman’s wife in company of friends and invited guests.