The State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, says the federal government has abandoned the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in Benue state.
Executive Secretary of SEMA, Mr. Emmanuel Shior, stated this on Friday, while speaking to journalists during the flag off of the monthly distribution of food to IDPs in various camps across the state.
He noted that though state government has, on several occasions, engaged the federal government on the welfare of the displaced person’s, “Federal government appears not to be interested.
“Continued attacks have increased the number of IDPs to over 2million but the federal government only talks about the IDPs in the north east and when you want to classify the states in the north, Benue State is included.
“Why would Benue be listed among the 19 northern states, yet have nothing to show for it. At my personal level, as an informed person and also as a university teacher, I want to challenge that classification because if you say that Benue State is part of the 19 northern states, and the federal government is not demonstrating that in terms of supporting the state government to look after the IDPs, what does that mean?”
“We are only identified in terms of that classification, and that, for me, is a high level of injustice. That for me, is unacceptable.”
Shior called on the media to escalate the challenges of IDPs in Benue State and to also emphasize the fact that the federal government has neglected the IDPs in the state.
“The implication is that you have about two million voters in Benue camps. So, even if the IDPs don’t have anything to do, they are also warming up and saying that well, we are entering into another season of general elections.”
He commended Governor Samuel Ortom for his concerns for IDPs saying the state government is making plans to ensure that the about 2 million IDPs return back to their ancestral homes.
The Next Edition reports that for the month of June, SEMA distributed five trucks of rice, 4,000 cartons of indomie, bags of maize, guinea corn and millet to IDPs in Abagena, Daudi 1 and 3, Ukpiam, Ortese Agasha and Udei camp all in Guma LGA, Anyiin in Logo LGA, Okpokwu, Agatu, Gwer West, Kwande LGAs among other places.
