-As SEMA Official Denies Diversion Of Relief Materials, Money
From Joseph Uchenna, in Makurdi
The Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs from Yelwata, Guma Local Government area community who were evacuated to Makurdi following the heinous and coordinated attacks by suspected armed herdsmen that killed 200 persons, on Thursday reportedly embarked on a protest over their condition of living.
However, the management of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA has outrightly denied any protest at the camp.
Recall that SEMA under the headship of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Human and Disaster Management and executive secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. James Iorpuu, had on Saturday 14th June, evacuated IDPs to the International Market Makurdi located along George Akume way.
The protesters were said to have blocked all the major entrances leading to the temporary camp to register their grievances over the treatment meted out to them since their arrival at the camp.
The IDPs accused State government officials of diverting relief materials donated to them by public spirited individuals and humanitarian organisations, a development, they said had brought untold hardship to them.
One of the IDPs who identified himself as Fidelis Igban from Yelwata community lamented that they have lost three people in the camp as a result of starvation and the bad condition of the environment.
“Imagine, people would come to the camp and donate food items and other relief materials to us(IDPs), and once those items are handed over to the officials, it will end up not reaching us.
“Just few days ago, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume came to the camp and donated some items for onward distribution to IDPs. Uptil now, we have not seen anything.
“The Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr. Paul Enenche, came here and donated materials for our consumption, yet nothing has gotten to us. We are starving and dying here. We want to go back to our homes.
“We are running away from our comfort homes due to herdsmen attacks after our parents, children and wives were killed and now, we are here facing another critical challenges.
“There’s no food, our children are starving, we sleep on the floor, and mosquitoes are almost killing us. We are suffering, and people are dying. officials overseeing camp management were hoarding and diverting donated materials.
Debunking the claims by the IDPs, the administrative Secretary, SEMA Dr. Donald Komgbenda said there are no case of diversion of materials or people dying, stating what they are experiencing is anxiety and infiltration into the camp.
He said at the moment, there is no water in the camp but they have made effort to provide 4 to 5 trucks of water to the displaced persons.
Said he, “We have also starting distribution of 40 bags of rice and other condiments to the 7 blocks in the camp. In fact, two persons were arrested for attempting to steal away materials from the camp
” We are planning to distribute mattresses to them even as profiling is still ongoing. At the moment, there are 3,541 individuals 1,541 households and 2,225 female. So there is no case of diversion of food items as claimed by the IDPs.
“Even the pledge made by Sen Titus Zam and Rep Asema Achado of 12 million which have been redeemed with an instruction that 6 million should be given to the IDPs , we are discussing with the leaders on modalities to share the money to all the IDPs”.
