PRESS RELEASE   ON THE NIGERIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY’S PRESIDENT, COURTESY CALL ON HIS EMINENCE THE SULTAN OF SOKOTO ALH. SA`AD ABUBAKAR TO KICK OFF THE N500 MILLION APPEAL FUND FOR THE DISPLACED PERSONS IN NIGER DELTA.

We wish to report that on Tuesday the 4th day of June, 2009. The President of the Nigerian Red Cross paid a courtesy call on his Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto in his Palace to kick off the Society’s N500, 000,000.00[Five Hundred Million Naira] Appeal fund for the displaced and vulnerable people in the troubled Area of Niger Delta. Earlier in his address Chief Rochas Okorocha  told the Sultan that President Umaru Musa Yar`dua  has granted amnesty to the militants  willing to lay down their Arms ,he poured encomiums on  Mr. President for his magnanimity and love for peace , he went further to tell the Royal Father that as a result of the unfortunate armed conflict that is currently raging in the region many innocent citizens of Nigeria are suffering untold hardship and a lot more are displaced without shelter, clothes and  food

Chief Rochas went further to give an insight on the society’s status, he told his Eminence that Nigerian Red Cross Society  is an International Humanitarian Organization which is also an auxiliary to government as contained in the Geneva convention with a Nigeria as a signatory ,he said the main objective of their visit to his eminence was to solicit for his eminence  support as a royal father of our nation to kick off the fund raising programme for the vulnerable people of the Niger Delta.  Chief Rochas said the society required over N500 million urgently to provide shelter, food, clothing and medicals for children in the volatile region of the Niger delta.

In his response the Sultan announced the Sultanate Council donation of One million Naira to kick off the Niger Delta appeal fund and called on all Nigerians to in the sprit of love and compassion to donate generously in cash or in kind to the fund. He commended President Umaru Musa Yar`adua for his magnanimity in granting pardon to the militants,  he further called on the militants to reciprocate the Presidential  amnesty  by putting down their arms and embrace piece ,His eminence shared his experienced as a military diplomat with the visiting officials, he admonished all the parties involved in the protracted armed conflict to embrace piece ,his Eminence  vividly recalled his sojourn as a military diplomat who served in the most volatile region of the world .He said his service as a Military attaché  has afforded him the opportunity to know that wholesome military activity may not be a panacea to insecurity  in such regions, he opined that wholesome military activity may only become inevitable when dialogue fails ,Owelle Rochas was accompanied by the National Youth Adviser Mal Kabir Ahmed,Mohammed Adamu Tafidan Tangaza Ag Chairman Sokoto State Branch,Hajia Ummu Mustapha  Sokoto State Adviser on Branches, Prince Eze Madumere Chief of Staff to the President ,Tijjani Babagida A National volunteer/a famous footballer.

Signed

Mal Kabir Ahmed

National Youth Adviser

Nig Red Cross Society  National Headquarters Abuja