By Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Benue State Government has commenced resettlement process to fulfill its promise by relocating 835 Internally Displaced Persons, comprising 171 households currently residing at NEPA Camp, North Bank Makurdi to Mbayongo community of Mbawa council ward along Imande-Akpu-Gbajimba road in Makurdi Local Government Area of the state.
Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, James Iorpuu, who announced this on Thursday in a chat with journalists said over 5000 make shift houses were constructed by government in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration, IOM, for the displaced persons to have access to better facilities such as electricity, water, adequate security, food, hospital, school and other household items centrally to boost their welfare.
He said IDPs from two other camps of Baka and Ichwa would subsequently be relocated to the mega site to make it easy for their treatment as government prepares to work out a plan to return them to their ancestral homes.
Iorpuu represented by information officer of the Agency, Tema Ager, said the new arrangement would centralise activities of the IDPs, stressing that some of them who were living in mosquito net tents would also have a lease of new life at the mega camp provided is more conducive and commended IOM and other donor agencies for their support.
In a remark, camp manager of NEPA IDP Quarters North Bank, Emmanuella Chagu, expressed appreciation to donor agencies and Governor Hyacinth Alia, for constant support to the IDPs and called on Government to hasten process for their final return to ancestral homes.
On their parts, some IDPs – John Ingbian and Dooshima Ude, thanked the state government and other development partners for providing descent accommodation for them and further appealed that government train them in skills and provide capital.