By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Some residents at the Ugha Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Benue State were ecstatic as they received their food palliative packs from leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, under its 5 Days of Love annual Christmas initiative.
Airtel had announced plans to distribute 1,000 palliative packs to five select IDP camps in five states across the country over a period of five days during a held virtual press conference.
Expressing heartfelt gratitude during the kick-off of the programme in Ugha IDP Camp, Makurdi, the state capital, one of the camp residents who received their palliative food pack commented, “We want to thank Airtel for what they have done for us, we really appreciate and we are praying to the almighty God to give them wisdom so that they can share this to others who are in need.”
“We want to thank them so much for this wonderful gesture they have shown to us today.
“And we pray that when they depart here, going to their various destinations, God should guide them safely to where they are going in good condition,” he concluded.
Speaking at the distribution, the Zonal Business Manager, Benue, Airtel Nigeria, Clinton Alimi, reaffirmed Airtel’s commitment to making life better for Nigerians despite the pandemic currently ravaging the country.
“On behalf of us at Airtel, I am happy to be here to start off this year’s edition of our annual 5 days of Love Christmas initiative with the distribution of palliative food packs.
“For the past six years, Airtel has staged 5 days of Love across 20 cities and has fed well over 20,000 Nigerians through this programme. Despite the challenges that COVID-19 brought upon us, we still have many things to be grateful for and thankful for.
“Airtel is committed to touching lives of the underprivileged across the society, as a critical stakeholder in Nigeria, we are also passionate about uplifting the less privilege and providing to the vulnerable as this aligns with our overall CSR of touching lives and improving the standard of living of the less privilege,” Alimi concluded.
On Tuesday, December 14, 1000 palliative packs were distributed in Kasaisa IDP Camp in Damaturu, Yobe State while on Wednesday, December 15, residents of IDP camp in Ekiti State received palliative packs. On Thursday, December 16, the programme was held in Anka, Zamfara State, while distribution concluded at the IDP Camp in Ekende, Ogoja, Cross Rivers State on Friday, December 17.
The Airtel 5 Days of Love programme, which is in its 7th edition, is designed to identify with less privileged persons as well as support the downtrodden in communities where Airtel operates.
Through the programme, Airtel says it is uplifting the less privileged and providing support for the vulnerable as this aligns with its overall CSR theme of touching lives and improving the standard of living of the less privileged.
Adedapo Adesanya