Plateau State Governor Receives Relief Materials from Federal Government

August 2021 turned out to be an unpleasant month for citizens of Plateau state as it witnessed the resurgence of violence which claimed many lives plus destruction of property after 6 years of relative peace.

The situation which led to hardship on survivors caused Governor Simon Lalong to visit President Muhammadu Buhari asking for federal government assistance in terms of relief materials which paid off with the delivery of relief materials for the victims.

Minister Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk who presented the relief materials to the Governor on behalf of the Federal Government said the materials were in fulfilment of the commitment made to the Governor when he visited the President and sought assistance for victims of the unfortunate incident.

Serious Jeopardy

She said though the Federal Government was not happy about the loss of lives and properties occasioned by the attacks, it cannot fail to intervene in the lives of the people who have been put under serious jeopardy as a result of the attacks.

She said the items worth 100 million naira include “2000 bags of rice, 2000 bags of maize, 144 gallons of vegetables oil, 1200 mattresses, 40 bales of mats, cement, roofing sheets, nails and ceiling boards as well as other household items are hereby presented to help the people get back on their feet”.

Sadiya commended Governor Lalong for working hard to restore normalcy as well as continue working for peace and security while going after criminals to ensure that they face justice.

Receiving the items, Governor Lalong said though the gesture was highly appreciated, the circumstances leading to the current situation made the occasion a solemn one because of the loss of lives and properties.

He however said the State was grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari both for his intervention in deployment of security forces and the humanitarian assistance which he said will go a long way in mitigating the sufferings of the people.

He thanked the Minister for giving prompt attention to the directive of the President and procuring the materials through NEMA for distribution to those affected.

Lalong said the Plateau State government was also looking forward to greater help from the Federal Government particularly in the area of relocation of IDPs. He said “the State is anxiously awaiting the promise of ten Billion naira from the Federal Government which was made by the Vice President during his visit to the State after the Gashish attacks, one of our major problems is seeing that IDPs return home so please help us remind the Vice President of this promise”.

Deputy Governor Prof. Sonni Tyoden who is the Chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency said the items will be distributed directly to the victims who have been identified and also recieved the items earlier procured by the State.

Director General, National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, Ahmed Habib disclosed that 15 thousand affected persons in 5 Local Government Areas of Jos North, Bassa, Jos South, Barkin Ladi, Jos East and Riyom need various forms of assistance.

The Paramount chief of Jos North, Johnson Jauro Magaji thanked the Federal Government for the support and said the steps taken by Governor Lalong have so far yielded positive results as the people are gradually putting the sad incidents behind them and looking ahead for peaceful life.

The Minister had earlier visited the Obasanjo Model Primary School Jos, where a computer centre established under the Social Investment Programme equipped with 40 computers was inspected. The Minister Sadiyya Farouk and Governor Simon Lalong while encouraging teachers and students to sufficiently use the centre describing the gesture as laudable.