New Dawn for Development Initiative, NDDI, a non-governmental organisation, on Sunday fed over 500 vulnerable and less privilege children (Almajiri) at Padan Sarkin Hausawa palace in Kubwa, Abuja.
President of the foundation, Mrs Titilayo Christiana Onyia noted that the initiative was conceived to bridge the division brought by tribal and religious issues in Nigeria and how feeding the Almajari programme could help in uniting the country.
Dr Onyia noted that God created everyone in His image, irrespective of whether one is a Christian, Muslim or any other religious group.
“What God wants is humanitarian, which is in my heart and that should be in everybody’s heart.
I’m a Christian but Muslims are my brothers and sisters, because we all are one. Religion has nothing to do when it comes to humanitarian. My mother is a Fulani; my father Yoruba while I’m married to an Igbo man; that is why I am called ‘One Nigeria,'” she said.
On her expenses, Dr. Onyia said she was spending from her pocket, hence no one was bankrolling the group.
“Only God. It is now we are hoping that the president-elect will by God’s grace assist good NGOs like us.”
According to her, New Dawn Development Initiative has covered over 24 states, which include Kogi, Niger, Delta, FCT, Kaduna and Kebbi.
Onyia, who said her foundation had its coordinators in the 36 states of the federation and Abuja, noted that “all my life has been on humanitarian. I don’t rest until I do it because all the less privileged need food; they need us to put smiles on their faces, hence I don’t relent doing it.”
She advised well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid to enable them do more and leave religious and tribal sentiment aside.
“Religious and tribal sentiments have nothing to do with humanitarian.
I am also calling on the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to please create either a parastatal under any ministry and name it humanitarian, where we can do more to the less privileged, especially the Almajiris; at least they should be fed once a week to enable them have sense of belonging.
“They are hungry. And if we don’t take care of them, in future you will know that they will be our problem in future because hungry person is a dangerous person. Let’s leave clothing them, but feed them,” she said.
Dr. Onyia further observed that her aim was to open the eyes of Nigerians to know that children on the streets were supposed to be fed educated and be removed from streets.
She therefore called on former Imo State governor, Senator Rochas Okoroach, to come to their aid as a foremost Nigerian who had been at the fore front of removing vulnerable children from streets, feeding clothing and putting them in schools.