Agency donates fishing boats, nets to Bakassi IDPs

The Border Communities Development Agency (BEDA) under the presidency has donated 10 fishing boats, five horsepower outboard engines and nets to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Bakassi in Cross River State.

Numoipire Wills, the executive secretary of the agency, who made the presentation recently in Calabar, said the donation was part of government’s assisted-poverty alleviation programme in many of the border states, especially Bakassi.

Wills said in addition to the donation, “we are building security posts, markets, health facilities, schools. We are singling out Bakasi, because is one of the areas where we have returnees like we have in Kebbi State. There are other government assisted programmes laid out for farming activities in the area.’’

Hilliard Eta, chairman, south-south vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), expressed appreciation to the presidency for the gesture. “This is a wonderful gesture. The Bakassi people are primarily fishermen and also militancy in the area has affected the livelihood of the people. I want to use the opportunity to thank the military for clearing the Bakassi area of militants that would enable the people put the boats to use,” he said.