June 18, (THEWILL) – The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), has distributed relief materials worth over N188 million to various Internally Displaced Persons camps in the state.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Emmanuel Shior, who performed the ceremony on Friday in Makurdi, expressed disgust over the rising profile of figures owing to consistent attacks of communities by suspected herdsmen unabated.
“Benue is playing host to over two million IDPs now. The implication is that 2 million voters will be disenfranchised in the 2023 general election, if care is not taken”.
The SEMA Executive Secretary, who accused the Federal Government of paying lip service to the plight of Benue IDPs, noted with sadness that insecurity remains a big challenge in the course of returning the displaced back to their ancestral homes.
“The Samuel Ortom administration will sustain the tempo and step up the supply of relief materials as herdsmen continue to attack and displace the natives. We are hoping that respite will soon come their way by the Grace of God”.
According to Shior, the 6,000 bags of rice and 4,000 bags of indomie, which were distributed to designated camps at Tarka, Makurdi, Okpokwu, Gwer West and Guma Local Government reas of the state.
He listed other camps to receive the relief materials to include Abagena, Daudu in Makurdi, Ukpiam, Agasha, Ortese and Udei all in Guma local government; Agatu and Anyiin in Logo, while victims in Jako – Aka, Nyihemba and Ikyogen as well as Cameroonian refugees in Kwande will also receive relief materials.
The SEMA boss announced that Ortom had approved additional food stuff, such as maize, Millet, cassava to be bought for distribution to lDPs; noting that shelter, medical care and other incentives have been introduced to various camps for the good of inmates.
Doctor Shior explained that, it was in recognition of impending food shortage that governor Ortom has approved Thursday and Fridays of every week as free days for civil servants to work on their farms and to compliment other efforts aimed at ensuring food security in the state.
