COVID-19: Edo IDP coordinator calls for FG’s palliatives

The management of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Uhorgua, near Benin, Edo state, has called on the federal government to consider the camp in the distribution of palliatives.

Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, coordinator of the camp, said in Benin on Wednesday that the camp has yet to receive any palliative two weeks after the presidential announcement.

Folorunsho, who said that they were excited by the President’s announcement on the IDPs in the country, however, lamented that until now, “the Edo IDPs are yet to benefit from such palliatives.

“We listened to Mr. President’s broadcast that day and heard him clearly and we were very excited that succour was finally coming our way.

“This was because since the beginning of this year we have been facing so much challenges especially with feeding. But, as I speak to you now, we are yet to get anything from the federal government.

“We are however, still expecting and hoping that Edo IDPs will get its share of the federal government’s promised palliative soon.”

The coordinator however, disclosed that the Edo state overnment, a fortnight ago donated several food items to the camp as palliatives to help cushion any negative effect of measures put in place to curtail the spread of the virus on the residents.

According to him, some of the challenges faced in the camp by the inmates still subsist, saying however, that there were no reported or suspected cases of the virus in the camp.

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He explained that the management team of the camp were doing their best to stick to government guidelines in containing the spread, adding that the camp was enforcing strict social distancing measure as well as personal hygiene among the inmates.

He however lamented that with the social distancing, some inmates now sleep in the halls, while some preferred sleeping outside if it was not raining.

He appealed to individuals and cooperate organisations to assist the camp with hand sanitisers and face masks as the management was running out of the ones purchased.