April 28, (THEWILL) – The Victims Support Funds (VSF), is to expend over one billion in six local government areas of Benue State affected by insurgency.
It listed the benefiting local government councils to include, Guma, Gwer West, Konshisha, Logo and Agatu.
The team leader of Funds, which is founded by former Minister of Defence, Lt General Theopilus Danjuma, Mrs Nana Tanko said, another N180 million will be spent on economic empowerment programs for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
According to her, the foundation has designed programs that will respond to the needs of the people, intimating that it will cover 7 strategic areas of food distribution, health and medical care, pschyo-socio support and mental living, safety and shelter, access to water, hygiene, provide support for primary health care centres.
Speaking at the flag off of distribution of relief materials to IDPs camp at Ortese in Guma local government area on Tuesday, Mrs Nana said she went round the six local government area councils, lamenting over the massive destruction of infrastructures in the State.
Describing it as ‘incredible’, she urged the Federal government to take steps to reconstruct the damaged communities for people to return to their ancestral homes and engage in farming.
“The Victims Support Funds was established in 2014 to cater for victims of terrorism in Nigeria. It is to complement the Federal Government’s effort in taking care of victims of terrorism.
“Terrorism has spread to the North Central, that is why we are intervening. This is the third time we are doing so in the State
“It is the first of its kind in comprehensive humanitarian program in Nigeria democracy. The food items should be able to reach within 6 months over 100,000 people.”
In his remarks, Governor Samuel Ortom lauded the Victim Support Fund for the intervention and reminded the Federal Government to be alive to her responsibility of securing the lives of Nigerians.
He wondered whether political leaders in Abuja are not human beings. Do they have blood flowing through their systems at all? Ortom asked.
The governor decried how federal government would allow over 1.5 million people to be in IDP camps over the years, imagining over million people staying in a camp under the rain and sun.
