October 21, (THEWILL) – The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has donated 10 Oxygen Concentrators at Abande, Ikyogen as well as at St. Monica’s Hospital Adikpo in Kwande Local Government area of Benue as medical intervention for the people.
The UNHCR made the donation when a delegation led by the Head of its Ogoja Sub-office, Ms Irene Omendi, paid a courtesy visit to the Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, at the Government House Makurdi on Saturday,
Omendi appreciated the State Government for allowing refugees of Cameroon descent to settle in Ikyogen, Kwande Local Government Area of the State over the years.
She explained that the hospitality the State Government has accorded the refugees as well as the peaceful coexistence between the locals and refugees is something that needs to be commended.
Omendi while commending the Alia-led administration for its efforts to return the IDPs to their ancestral homes, called for more support for the IDPs through the provision of schools, hospitals and other basic amenities, assuring of her organisation’s continued support, including the area of capacity building.
Responding, Governor Hyacinth Alia assured of his administration’s commitment towards tackling issues threatening peaceful coexistence and harmony in the State.
He thanked the United Nations for always offering help, restoring hope to the hopeless, giving respite to the traumatized, providing shelter to the homeless, as well as helping to build a better future for those who have lost their livelihoods as a result of the crisis.
“You have not only been saving lives but have been ensuring that the rights and the human dignity of those being violated, persecuted or subjected to violence get respite. You find for them respect and safety that their own people or authorities sometimes deny them. You build for them a better future away from their original homes, thus bringing meaning and happiness into their lives again,” he said.
While reiterating his administration’s resolve to return the internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes, the Governor assured the group of his government’s commitment to having a robust engagement that will usher in practical pathways to solving the multiple issues bedevilling the peace and harmony in the State.
He appreciated the UNHCR for donating 10 Oxygen Concentrators to the State, saying the gesture would certainly go a long way in helping the government to improve its healthcare delivery services to Benue people.
