Plateau IDPs want assistance from FG, international community
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Plateau state have appealed to the federal government and the international community render assistance to them just like their counterparts in the North-East.
IDPs’ Camp Coordinator in Barkin Ladi, Prince Barnabas Philip, made the call during a two- day meet the IDPs tour by the management committee Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government, Ezekiel Mondyau.
Majority of camp coordinators, who spoke at the various camps visited, made the same request.
“Sir, can you believe that in this very camp, where we have over 2, 000 IDPs as a result of the attacks on Gashish District last year, since November last year no single government official or organisation visited us to assist us.
“We have teeming children and women, most of who are widows and orphans, yet nobody cares to come round to feel what we are feeling till this your (chairman’s) visit to us today.
“The visitor and assistance we got was from a Christian organization since November last year, yet each time we hear on television and radio that billions of naira being pumped to our counterparts in the North-East,” the camp coordinator said.
Philip told the council chairman that what the IDPs want is for them to return to their respective communities if only government, corporate bodies and wealthy individuals and philanthropists would assist them to rebuild their destroyed houses and provide them with adequate security.
Philip’s emotional plea brought tears to many people on the chairman’s entourage, including him (Mondyau).
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Responding, Mondyau told the IDPs that it was out of government’s concern that he embarked on the two -day meet the IDPs tour and assured them of government’s readiness to assist them to return to their respective communities.
Mondyau pledged to relate their plights and pleas to both the state and federal governments for necessary assistance, but also assured them of his widow’s might at alleviating their plights.
He said part of Governor Simon Lalong plans, is to ensure that all the IDPs in the 12 camps return to their respective communities before the January.
