A foundation operating in the popular online platform WhatsApp, Katsina City News, has donated food items and cash worth N5,117,000 to the needy in Katsina during the Ramadan fasting period.
Founder of the foundation, Malam Muhammad Danjuma Katsina, said in a statement made available to the New Citizen that members of the group are indigenes of Katsina State who come from various backgrounds for the development of the state.
He said: “The fasting committee established by the forum is under the leadership of Alhaji Lawal Aliyu Daura, mni, the former Head of Service of Katsina State. Members of the committee include Hajiya Mariya Abdullahi Bakori, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmad Katsina, Alhaji Lawal Rufai Safana, Alhaji Dauda Kurfi, Hajiya Murja Saulawa, Barister Ahmad Danbaba Batsari, Alhaji Muntari Lawal Kofar Soro, Alhaji Hamza Yunusa Jibia, SSA to the governor, Alhaji Sabo Musa Hassan, among others.
“This is the fourth year that this committee has undertaken this work during the month of Ramadan.”
Malam Ɗanjuma added that in 2023 the committee gave food and cash assistance to people in need in 500 families, adding that each household got rice, corn flour, pasta, maggi and cooking oil, as well as a token cash amount for shopping.
The committee also helped in the release of seven youths from prison after paying the small fines to the authorities. It also settled the fines of 20 women who were taken to court over money-related disputes.
“The committee also delivered cooked food to places of special need and hospitals to feed patients that were brought from places outside Katsina town and have no one in Katsina.
“The funds for this project are collected by members of this WhatsApp forum called Katsina City News. Some of them donated one thousand naira, some a hundred thousand naira and more.”
Muhammad Danjuma, the founder of Katsina City News and Katsina City News magazine, created the forum in 2015.
He assembled people from the state to exchange views, share information and discuss issues that affect the state and the country as a whole.
The forum has provided financial assistance several times to different groups in the state.