Benue state Governor Samuel Ortom has debunked insinuations that state government is planning to close down the internally Displaced Person’s, IDP, camps in the state.
Gov. Ortom who spoke when he played host to some Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, in Governmemt House on Monday, said it was not the right time to disengage the IDPs because their villages were not safe for them to return back home.
“We are not contemplating closing any of our camps. Some of the displaced persons are just going to stay with their relatives who are willing to accommodate them. Their homes are not safe and we must provide security of lives and properties before they can go back.”
The governor recalled that when the Vice president visited in 2018, “children, mothers and men were begging on their knees that the Federal Government should help them go home because there is no place like home.
“I am happy that the Benue people and CSOs are on the same page with state Government in calling for adequate security of our people.
“More than 50 security men have been killed as a result of the invasion and as I speak, I have information that the whole of University of Agriculture, Makurdi area is taken over by cattle.”
Ortom appealed to Civil Society Organizations and the Benue people to support his administration, saying there was need to begin to consider an internal security architecture that will complement what the security men are doing in the state.
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While he insisted government has not considered closing the camps, the Governor urged the Federal Government, security agencies, CSOs to collaborate with the state government to restore security in Benue.
He pledged that his administration would do everything that was legal and legitimate to ensure that the Benue people have security at all times.
Earlier, members of the CSO had expressed their concerns over he plight of the displaced persons emphasing the need for them to be taken care of especially in the of rebuilding their communities.
They harped on the need to demand that food items and other relief materials be sent to be distributed to the victims else they would have reasons to believe there was a deliberate attempt to deny relief to Benue and the North Central as a whole.
The Executive Facilitator, Civil Organizations Research Advocacy and Funding Initiatives Development, (CORAFID), Mr. Nathaniel Awuapila said beyond security, most of the victims lost their entire livelihood and needed help to get back on their feet.
Awuapila who acknowledged that it was not a responsibility Governmemt can carry alone, called for a more scientific approach in the management of emergency humanitarian response so as to facilitate proactive decisions that could attract humanitarian partners to come to work with Governmemt for safe return of victims to their homes.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of Community Links and Human Empowerment Initiative, Helen Teghtegh suggested an engagement and consultation of more stakeholders in the ressetlement plan adding that government must ensure that security of citizens was taken as utmost priority.
