Sadiya Umar Farouq: Understanding Nigeria’s Mother Theresa
By Gaddafi Ibrahim Tanko
INFOMEDIA – If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one (Mother Theresa 26 August 1910 to 5 September 1997).
Sequel to the creation of the Ministry of humanitarian affairs, Disaster Management and social development, by president Muhammadu Buhari, and the appointment of hajiya sadiya umar farouk as the minister in charge of the Ministry. With a clear Mandate to vigorously pursue the governments social intervention programmes and policies.
There is no denying the fact that under her new role as Nigeria’s chief humanitarian officer, she is expected to come up with an organized structure, policy and frame work that are necessary for improving the lives of the poorest of the poor, the women and our most vulnerable citizens.
Prior to the coming on board of the Ministry the country has had to deal with millions of it citizens that have been rendered homeless in there country by the merciless crises in the north east, largely occasioned by the notorious Boko Haram Sect, as well as the persistent and unending farmers / herders clashes and other natural causes of disaster.
Responses to those unpleasant situations where largely handled by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National commission for Refugees migrants and internally displaced persons (NCFRMI) which have proven overtime as incapable of handling such situations because of it magnitudes.
The creation of the Ministry as a vehicle of government is President Buhari’s antidote towards solving Nigeria’s and other friendly country’s humanitarian crises as clearly stated in the Ministry’s Mandate.
It is important to state at least for posterity that the minister has since assuming office effectively and effortlessly evolved strategies towards tackling the country’s humanitarian challenges
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The real test of Minister Sadiya’s leadership capacity is the recent outbreak of the novel Convid-19, a pandemic fast ravaging the world and even collapsing some of the world strongest health facilities and economies.
As a member of the presidential taskforce n covid19, and chairman of the national humanitarian coordination council, hajiya Sadiya has taken proactive steps towards providing the necessary palliatives for Nigerians who even during good times are not able to provide basic necessities of life for themselves.
Since the advent of the pandemic the minister who herself has defied the risk of contracting the virus, has been personally visiting states across the country flagging off series of federal government intervention programmes so as to soften the hardship occasioned by the lock down and by extension the pandemic.
Just recently the minister was in kano to handover over 110 trucks of grains and other assorted materials as palliative support, not forgetting the over 11 trucks of assorted of food items donated by the Nigerian customs service through the Ministry to the state government.
Beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer scheme had never had it so good as there stipends are paid as at when due so impressed was the president with the ministers transparent approach that he directed for the expansion of the social register to accommodate over 1 million households.
The list of Minister Sadiya’s successes since assuming office as Nigeria’s humanitarian minister are enormous even with the recent innovation in the home school feeding programme where school children in public schools are fed while still at home in a highly transparent and efficient manner.
Result oriented public servants like Sadiya umar Farouq, who are striving round the clock to provide the necessary support for Nigerians in distress must be commended and encouraged to do more, hence Right thinking Nigerians must rise and support them.
Gaddafi Ibrahim Tanko, Contributed this piece from Abuja.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of INFOMEDIA
