Dame Jonathan sends relief materials to Mali

Relief materials worth several millions of naira have been donated to victims of the violence in Mali by Nigeria’s First Lady and the President of the African First Ladies’ Peace Mission, Dame Patience Jonathan.
According to Mrs. Jonathan’s media aide, Ayo Oshinlu, the gesture was a little contribution of the AFLPM to checking the wind of violence spreading across Africa, especially in Mali, where insurgents have been fighting the Malian government.
Oshinlu said 16 plane load of materials, which include food items, clothing, drugs, beddings and other essential items were received at a brief ceremony in the Malian capital, Bamako.
The ceremony was also witnessed by the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Mrs. Sia Bai Koroma.
Mrs Jonathan was represented by a delegation led by the Minister of State, FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, who is the Chairperson, Planning Committee on relief materials to Mali.
Other members of the delegation were the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Professor Viola Onwuliri; the Special Adviser to the President on Gender, Dr. Asmau Abdulkadir; and former Minister of Women Affairs, Becky Igwe.
The Nigeria’s First Lady reiterated her appeal for peaceful means of resolving differences in various societies and work more to prevent violence and war.
She stressed the urgent need to change the image of wars and violence given to Africa to that of a peaceful, stable and developing continent.
The President of AFLPM again expressed the commitment of African First Ladies to contribute to peace efforts in the areas of advocacy, capacity building, negotiation, reconciliation, provision of relief materials and involvement in the rehabilitation of victims of conflicts.
Receiving the items, the First Lady of Mali, Madame Mintou Doucoure Traore, expressed the sincere gratitude and heartfelt appreciation of the people of Mali for the Mission’s magnanimous gesture and exemplary support to the people, especially women and children in their time of need.
According to her, the support speaks volume of the high premium that the AFLPM president places on the peaceful existence of women and children of Mali. Madame Traore therefore promised equitable distribution of the items to victims of the conflict, especially in Timbuktu and Gao towns.