George Kajo, Makurdi
The Chairman of Victims Support Fund (VSF), General Theophilus Danjuma has donated a tricycle ambulance to the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Igede Central, Oju Local Government Area of Benue state.
The Chairperson, Emergency Support Programme of VSF, Mrs Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji who delivered the ambulance to the centre on behalf of the Chairman of the fund, said that the ambulance was donated to the health facility to reduce the challenge of running around in search of ambulances during emergencies.
She said that it would be used specifically for pregnant women during labour, children and the aged, adding that it could be of service to other health facilities in Oju and its environs too.
“This is the first of its kind in Benue. It came with medical consumables as well as non-medical consumables like Wheelchairs, beds and even fire extinguisher”.
According to her, the VSF had also concluded arrangements to provide economic empowerment to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the seven LGAs it was intervening in the state to enable them to stand on their own.
“We are going to offer them technical training support in tailoring, garri processing among others and at the end of the training we will give them start up packs and money.
“We will strictly monitor them for six months to ensure that they make judicious use of the skills they acquired and the funds disbursed to them.
“The cash will go to them directly so that those who want to do petty trading can venture into it.
Responding, the Officer in Charge of the PHC, Mrs Martha Okpoto, said that the centre highly appreciated VSF for the kind gesture.
“We are very happy to have the ambulance, it will aid us to discharge our duties with ease and we will use it judiciously and for the purpose it was donated,” Okpoto said.
The Director, Oju Health Authority, Mr Emmanuel Ube, applauded VSF, stressing that only God would reward them for what it had done to the Oju people.
Ube sued for extension of the support to other wards in Oju local government area, stressing that they were also passing through a lot of challenges to access healthcare.
Mr Sunday Oyibe, a member of VSF team, encouraged them to take very good care of the ambulance, emphasizing that if they maintain it, more good things would come to them.