Benue State distributes relief materials to IDPs

Benue state distributed relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) for the month of September on Saturday. It distributed 18,714 different types of relief materials for the month.

Items distributed were 5,118 bags of 25kg rice, 3,580 bags of 25kg beans, 2,050 bags of garri, 4,010 cartons of noodles and 321 gallons of 25-litre of groundnut oil. Others were 180 gallons of 20-litre palm oil, 414 bags of seasoning cubes, 359 bags of salt and 254 bags of sugar.

Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Mr Aondowase Kunde and the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), Sir James Iorpuu, jointly performed the ceremony in Makurdi.

Kunde said Gov. Hyacinth Alia directed that the materials must reach orphanages and rehabilitation homes in the state.
He added that it was the first time relief materials reached Mama Abayol Orphanage Home, the Rehabilitation Centre at Apir, and the School of Special needs at Aliade at Gwer Local Government Area.

It was also the first time that relief materials reached Vandeikya Local Government Area and host communities of refugees in Kwande Local Government Area of the state, he said.

Kunde assured that Benue state would ensure that displaced persons returned home in the shortest possible time.

In his remarks, a dejected Iorpuu said SEMA received reports that some IDPs sold part of the food items given to them in August to enable them to buy detergents and other items.

He added that having identified additional needs of the IDPs, 914 cartons of soap and 872 cartons of detergents were included in the September relief materials.

Iorpuu said SEMA also included 600 mattresses as part of relief items distributed in September because it was found that most of the IDPs did not have beds. He commended Gov. Alia for his plans to resettle the IDPs in their homes.

Iorpuu also admonished Benue state residents to stop besieging SEMA with requests for food items as what the agency had in store were for IDPs.

NAN / Foluke Ibitomi