Dr. Stephen John’s work on peace, security and good governance has been recognised by the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN).
To this end, PCN has issued him an award for his outstanding contributions to good governance, peace and security in Nigeria.
The prestigious Award of Sustainable Development Goals Ambassador (SDG-Ambassador) 2021, given to John, was in recognition of his outstanding contributions to peace in Adamawa state and environ, ravaged by Boko Haram.
Speaking to Blueprint shortly after the award, Dr. John said his non-governmental organisation has been rendering help to widows and homeless people affected by Boko Haram.
He said every year he ensured that he provides clothing, food and other necessary items to those ravaged by insecurity.
“Areas like Madagali and Michika where insecurity has ravaged, I try to help to bring succour to the people, especially widows, children and others. I also help people suffering from TB.
“For the past 20 years as a medical doctor in the North East, I have been doing my best to ensure people affected by the activities of Boko Haram find succour and comfort,” he said.
Having witnessed the devastation of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of Nigeria and later his motherland of Michika, Dr. John founded Janna Health Foundation (JHF) in 2012 to contribute towards alleviating the sufferings of widows, orphans and vulnerable children that were the product of the insurgency and other security challenges in the area.
He also ensures that his area of expertise (tuberculosis, HIV, leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases) were areas of focus for JHF.
“Today, JHF has put smiles on thousands of widows, orphans and vulnerable children while implementing different projects that targets internally displaced persons, refugees and nomads across five of the six North Eastern states,” he said.
In his welcome address, the National Commandant of PCN, Prof. Dickson Akoh, lamented the sustained and repressive attacks by way of invasion, killings, pillaging, kidnapping for ransom and rape by bandits on educational institutions, especially secondary schools in parts of the country.
Speaking at the walk against incessant invasion and kidnapping of students in the educational institutions held in Abuja, where the award was presented, Prof. Akoh said the insecurity, which is getting to its peak, deserves the immediate attention and action by all relevant institutuons of government, social organisations and people of goodwill to address headlong.
Charging stakeholders to secure the nation’s institutions of learning from further attacks by the marauding bandits, the PCN commandant said the students being kidnapped, raped, maimed and killed may not be our biological children, brother or sisters, but they unarguably remain the hope and future of this nation.
