Benue State governor, Samuel
Ortom, has decried the condition and welfare of Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs) in the state.
He said it has become his cause
of worry as he could no longer sleep with his eyes closed over the IDPs losing
their homes due to the attacks by suspected herdsmen.
Governor Ortom made this known
during a tour of four IDPs camps at Abagana, R.C.M Daudu, Shelter Daudu and
Gbajimba.
“We are here to show our
solidarity to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and assure you that we
cannot sleep with our eyes closed, even as we have continued to work in the
manner that peace would be restored in attacked communities, so that you people
can go back your ancestral homes.
“I cannot sleep in Government
House because I think about how you people are faring. I think about how over
12,000 of you in just one camp are coping outside your homes.
“God should strengthen the
President. We appreciate his efforts but we are appealing that exercise
Ayem-A-Kpatuma should be upgraded to an operation that would ensure that those
who have been sacked by Fulani herdsmen can go back to their ancestral homes,”
he said.
Earlier during the tour, the
Executive Secretary State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr Emmanuel Shior
gave statistics of the population of the four camps at 34,019, 12,262, 11,782
and 24,019 respectively, making the total number of IDPs 82,562 comprising of
the elderly, physically challenged, nursing mothers, pregnant women and
children.
Shior stated that the state
government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Faith-based organizations
(FBOs) and spirited individuals had been very supportive to the upkeep of IDPs
and maintenance of camps, stating that more is needed as there were new
entrants into some of the camps today.
“We sincerely and heartily
appreciate his excellency, Gov Samuel Ortom, NGOs, FBOs and all spirited
individuals who have been supportive in the upkeep of the IDPs and the running
of the camps in the areas of health, emergency education,sanitation and
security.
“Regardless of the various
supports, going back home remains the ultimate for the IDPs.Whatever is done
will not be enough because even today we had new arrivals. We appreciate the
Federal Government for the support of the National Emergency and Management
Agency (NEMA). NEMA was here once and we hope that more intervention from the
Federal Government would be had,” Mr Shior said.
Rev. Tom Igya during an exhortation,
encouraged the people (IDPs) not to give up on God, as no one can find help
outside God, reading from the Bible in the book of Second Kings 6:27 – “And he
said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee, out of the
barnfloor, or out of the winepress?”
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