Catholic Relief Services supports families, victims of attack
The Catholic Relief Services (CRS), in collaboration with the Yendi Peace Centre, has donated quantities of cooking oil, 10 bags of rice, 20 bags of maize, and bales of used clothing to surviving families and victims of the recent attack in Zakoli where eight people were killed and four sustained injuries.
The beneficiaries of the GH¢50,000 worth of items included 20 widows and 33 children, including twins, of seven households.
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The incident occurred on April 13, 2022, at the Zakoli farming community in the Yendi Municipality in the Northern Region.
At the presentation of the items, the immediate past Bishop of the Yendi Diocese of the Catholic Church, Bishop Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai, said all that the people needed now was peace, stressing that without peace there cannot be development.
He urged them to deepen dialogue for lasting peace instead of engaging in reprisal attacks.
According to him, the church always had the people in their prayers and advised that they should commit everything into the hands of God.
The Chief of Zakoli, Na Abukari Andani, who received the items on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked their benefactors for the gesture.
Na Abukari appealed to the Peace Council and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference to help the police in their investigations to bring perpetrators of the violent attack to book.
He said the donation was the biggest they had received since the incident, and called on the police to intensify investigations to bring those behind the killing and burning of the houses and property of their victims to order.
The Catholic Relief Services Country Representative, Daniel Mumuni, also thanked the chief for the warm reception.
He commended him for his leadership in the midst of the crisis that dogged the community over the incident, and assured the victims, particularly the widows, that the Catholic Relief Services cared about them.
Mr Mumuni also expressed appreciation to Bishop Boi-Nai for the love and leadership he had shown towards the people, stressing that the bishop did not discriminate among Christians and Muslims.
He said violence should not be an option in any endeavour and urged the people to seek dialogue at all times.
The Chairman of the Yendi Peace Centre, Alhaji Issahaku Fuseini, appealed to the Fulanis to exercise restraint in the face of their pain, stressing that God would take care of them and their children.
The Project Coordinator of Women Livelihood Programme in the diocese, Florence Kukura, encouraged the widows to have have faith in God for their protection.
