Internally Displaced Persons at the Abagana IDP camp in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, have complained of inadequate sleeping mattresses and proper shelter from the rains.
The complaint follows an alleged report that a lot of mattresses and other relief items are been hoarded away from the over 175, 000 IDPs who are scattered in eight structured camps across the state.
Confirming the development to Channels Television, Chairman of the Abagana IDP Camp, Mr Philip Utsatse, regretted that people squatting in the camp were usually affected by the rain.
He said, “Whenever it is raining, nobody sleeps. All of them will just stand until the rain finishes before they will be able to dry the water and sleep.”
“There are some people that have constructed some sheds. Some people are not even having a place to sleep, some usually sleep outside and when it rains, all of them will just move inside there leaving room for no space to lie.”
He, therefore, appealed to the state government to come to their plights by addressing the accommodation issue by constructing some tents for them.
Utsatse added, “We are having that challenge of accommodation and we appeal to the government to come and construct some tents here so that people will have a place to sleep.”
Responding, the state government said it is aware of the challenges the displaced persons face with accommodation.
Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency, Emmanuel Shior, said Governor Samuel Ortom, had approved some money to address the issue.
He said, “We have received some report as an agency of government that is responsible for looking after them. The governor has approved some money to put in place some measures to address that problem.
Shior also gave the assurance that the state government, in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to acquire some tents to address the shelter challenge.
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