The National Commission For Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI, has distributed agricultural inputs, educational and empowerment materials to IDPs in Benue state.
The items include branded dual motorcycles, dual purpose ploughs and riders, manual planters, yam, soyabeans, maize and groundnut seedlings, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, sprayers’ kits, school sandals, books, water bottles among others.
Speaking while presenting the items at Abagana IDPs camp in Makurdi, on Thursday, the Federal Commissioner, NCFRMI, Sadiya Umar Farouq said the items were donated as part of federal government’s effort to assist IDPs in Makurdi, Gwer, Logo and Guma local government areas.
Mr. Farouk who was represented by an Assistant Director in the Commision, Murdakai Titus, stated that they were moved to donate the items after a need assessment of the four locations ravaged by the recent crisis in the state.
He said the commission has come not only to identify and empathize with the plight of the Persons of Concerns, PoCs, but to deliver the items to support the state government’s efforts towards rehabilitation of the diaplaced persons.
He assured Benue state that President Muhammadu Buhari and the commission under his watch will continue to play their roles of protection, care, assistance, maintenance and durable solutions for PoCs.
Farouq praised Governor Samuel Ortom for his efforts in ensuring peace, safety and dignity of IDPs in crisis areas pledging that the commission will ensure that the PoCs are properly resettled, reintegrated and readmitted through a process that covers socio-economic rehabilitation, protection, safety and security, governance and social cohesion.
Receiving the items, Gov. Ortom thanked the refugee commission for their continuous intervention.
The Governor represented by the Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency, Emmanuel Shior, stated that government can heave a sigh of relief knowing it is not alone in its trying times.
Mr. Shior, therefore, appealed to the federal government to do more by improving on security in the state to enable the displaced persons go home.
“The Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, has been very impressive but we need an improvement to enable them go home because it is only in their communities that they can use these item since they have no farms in the camp,” Shior added.
Chairman of Makurdi LGA, Mrs. Mwuese Agber and the camp manager, James Iorkyaa thanked the commission for their gesture as Mrs. Agber admonished the beneficiaries not to sell them, but to put them to judicious use as a sign of appreciation.
Some of the IDPs, Baki Denis and Joy Adagu thanked the commission for the materials and urged the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, facilitate their quick return to their various villages.
