You are not alone, Regina Akume assures IDPs, prisoners

….as she secures release of over 20 prisoners to mark her birthday

By Haruna Salami

The wife of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman House Committee on NAFDAC, Hon. Regina Akume has assured internally displaced persons (IDPs) and prisoners that she will always stand by them.

Mrs. Akume who is the member representing Tarka/Gboko Federal constituency, visited IDP camps and prison in Abuja and Nasarawa states to identify with these class of people as part of activities marking her birthday.

According to her, she is a grassroots politician who cares for the less privileged people where she was brought up.

“I’m not a city lady, I’m not a London person, I’m a villager and I know where I come from. So, I sympathise with people who come from the same background with me. This is what informed the idea of visiting people in IDP camps”, she said.

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However, her experience at the FCT IDP camp in Duruni, Abuja was quite disheartening to her when she heard the story of how many Nigerians have been using them to make money.

She also learnt that the only primary school in the camp which has about 3,000 IDPs has been closed down since 2016 for lack of teachers.

She promised to take their plight her husband, Senator George Akume and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who she described as “very caring, women friendly and who loves the poor”, for quick intervention.

“It is a very good thing that I was there to listen to them one-on-one and I really appreciate what they are going through and I promised them we will do something about it”.

At Gurin Interfaith IDP Camp, Karu, Nasarawa state, Mrs. Akume assured the victims of Boko Haram insurgency from Borno, Yobe, Taraba and other Northern states that “you are not alone”.

She assured them that she will always be there to champion their cause at every available opportunity, as she enjoined them to continue to live peacefully with their host community.

At the Kuje Medium Correctional Centre, Mrs. Akume brought what any prisoner cherishes most, freedom as some inmates, numbering over 20 regained their freedom when she came calling.

In an emotion laden advice, Akume told the inmates, especially those who secured their release to “show remorse” and become responsible citizens who will contribute their quota to the development of Nigeria.

For them to breathe the air of freedom, Mrs. Akume settled the fines of some of them who were sentenced with the option of fine ranging from N20,000 – N100,000, but who have no means of paying; totaling over N1 million for the over 20 of them.

The Commandant, FCT Correctional Centres, Usman Ibrahim, who expressed gratitude to Mrs. Akume said “today, there is a great change”.

Mr. Ibrahim said there is state amnesty, but lamented that “FCT cannot benefit from that amnesty because FCT has no governor, who can grant it”.

He said many of the inmates have “reform”, adding that “amnesty is dear to us”, appealing to Mrs. Akume, who he described as “detribslised person” to champion the cause for this amendment of relevant laws to allow FCT Minister grant amnesty.

In all the places Mrs. Akume went as part of her birthday coming up on December 1, she donated food items like yams, rice, sugar, salt and blankets, mosquito nets, etc, which she said was for everybody without discrimination.

Mrs. Akume also advocated for the elimination of violence against women as part of activities marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

She strongly condemned the recent Benue attacks that claimed lives, advocating for permanent peace, while calling for palliatives to be sent to the victims’ families.