Knights of St. John International donates N8m to flood victims in Nigeria

The Knights of St. John International (KSJI), a religious organisation, has donated N8 million to flood victims across Nigeria.

Remy Uche, national president of KSJI in Nigeria, announced this in a statement on Wednesday.

The Knights of St. John International, with roots in Nigeria dating back to 1976, is described as “a family apostolate charged with the defence of the Roman Catholic faith”.

Uche said the KSJI had earlier approved N6 million for flood victims, but added N2 million after considering the severity of the damage.

“The 2022 flood, which is believed to be the worst that Nigeria had experienced in decades, has created enormous humanitarian crises in the affected states – Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Kogi, Lagos, Kano, Imo, Adamawa, Jigawa, Benue, and Borno, negatively impacting farmlands, institutions (schools, churches) and compounding the economic challenges in the affected states,” the statement reads.

“In living out the foremost principle of the noble order of the Knights of St. John International and Ladies Auxiliary (KSJI) Nigeria, KSJI had donated the sum of six million Naira (N6,000,000.00) to ameliorate the plights of those affected by the flood.

“But sensing the enormity of the crisis, donated an additional two million Naira (N2,000,000), bringing it to a cumulative eight million Naira (N8,000,000).”

Beneficiaries of the donation are the dioceses in Idah, Markurdi, Lokoja, Auchi, Bomadi, and Warri, as well as the archdioceses in Onitsha, and Owerri.

The national president said the donation is also expected to support the repair of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) institutions affected by flood.

“The act of charity exists not only in the love for God, but also extends to the love of our neighbour. This act of charity is what we stand for as an Order and are happy to extend our hands of support to those affected by this flood,” he added.

“Through this gesture, we believe, we would have assisted families and children in need but also followed them over time.

“The message we carry forward is that ours is a real commitment, which never ends, with the certainty that even small gestures can really be a support for those in difficulty or moments of fragility.”

Lucius Ugorji, Catholic archbishop of Owerri ecclesiastical province, commended the KSJI for the donation.

“Interestingly, this charity is happening on the feast of All Saints Day. As Christians, we have important roles to play towards making society beautiful and a better place for all,” he said.

“Jesus teaches us to love others as we love ourselves; He urged us to always give so that we can also receive. I charge all true Christians to learn to show love because life is meaningless without sharing.”