Benue state government has lamented that over 2 million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, who have spent five years in camp have been neglected by the federal government.
The Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Dr. Emmanuel Shior, stated this in Makurdi during the monthly distribution of relief materials to the IDPs on Wednesday.
The SEMA boss who noted that the state was grappling with caring for the needs of the IDPs, said 600 other displaced persons have been recorded following recent attacks in the state
He noted that “in Logo we have recorded 400 IDPs while in Naka, we recorded over 200. Because of the huge population of IDPs, it is not easy for the state government to cater for the IDPs alone.
“We have shared the concern that FG has neglected the humanitarian crisis in Benue which also has another leg which is crisis of infrastructure.
“The attackers have not only attacked the farming communities and killed and maimed and displaced people, they have destroyed farmlands, homes, schools, bridges, churches. So this is a big problem and one wonders why such a huge humanitarian crisis is neglected by federal government.”
Dr. Shior appealed to International Humanitarian donors who are intervening in North Eastern part of the country particularly, Borno State to also turn their human face on those in Benue as according to him, over 200 International Humanitarian Partners are working in Borno state while only about 10 are in Benue.
He called on the federal government to rise up to its responsibilities of providing permanent solution to the isdues with IDPs saying “it is unthinkable to keep IDPs in camp for over 5 years.
He said the federal government should turn attention to Benue especially as Buhari has just a few months in office noting “This will help him write his name in gold. He is a father and we will not be tired of crying to him until he gives us listening ears.”
Our correspondent reports that the state government distributed bags of rice, cartons of noodles, bags of garri, maize and condiments with a promise to sustain supply.