Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, has called on the Federal government to improve on the security situation in the state to ensure the safe return of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, to their ancestral homes.
Executive Secretary, SEMA, Mr. Emmanuel Shior made the call during the closing ceremony of this year’s ANA/ Yusuf Ali Literary Awareness Campaign held in Makurdi.
The SEMA boss who lamented that the state government had overstretched its resources in catering for the welfare of IDPs said it has also done all it could to nip insecurity in the bud.
Represented by the Coordinator, Abagena IDP camp in Makurdi, Mr. James Iorkyar, Mr. Shior said it was incumbent on the federal government to do the needful and expressed gratitude to ANA Benue for extending the literary awareness campaign to the IDPs.
Also speaking, the priest in-charge of St. Augustine’s Catholic Mission Demekpe, Reverend Fr. Solomon Mfa, in his keynote speech called on relevant authorities to do everything possible to liberate the IDPs who he maintained, were equally an important segment of the society.
Rev. Fr. Mfa, who noted that the IDPs were living under terrible conditions said he was impressed with what ANA Benue has done to give hope to the downtrodden, calling on all Nigerians to stand with the IDPs particularly by ensuring that their welfare is not only taken care of, but that their return was also secured.
Chairman of the event and former chairman of Guma LG, Mr. Frank Adi acknowledged ANA Benue for embarking on programmes that have enhanced reading and writing among people of the state, describing as unique, the initiative to engage IDPs and Prison inmates to benefit from this year’s literary awareness campaign.
National President of ANA, Denja Abdullahi, who was represented by the Association’s National Secretary, Mr. Maik Ortserga said he had never been disappointed with ANA Benue, given its pedigree in organization of previous events.
He assured that the chapter would continue to benefit from the Yusuf Ali grant.
ANA Benue chairman, Dr. Charles Iornumbe, in a speech, said this year’s literary awareness campaign took a unique approach from the usual focus on schools in order to impact meaningfully on those that society has seemingly abandoned and thanked ANA National body and Yusuf Ali for providing grants for the success of the campaign.
Also a Don at the Benue State University, Makurdi, Dr. Tyotom Keghku and the ANA Benue Legal Adviser, Mike Assoh stressed the need for well meaning Nigerians to emulate Yusuf Ali.
The event featured presentation of literary prizes to six persons, three from the Abagena IDP camp and three from the Makurdi Medium Prisons.