Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia has disclosed that 37,412 households have been displaced by the sustained herders’ attacks on farmers in the state.
The governor who disclosed this during a visit by the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Dr Matthias Schmale also said a total population of 2,124,000 persons have been displaced from their ancestral homes.
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He said, “Of this number, 241,342 persons who are displaced from their ancestral homes are now taking refuge in 13 Internally Displaced Persons camps while the remaining 1,882,658 live with their relations within the host communities.
“The plight of IDPs cannot be overlooked because the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has been directed to put together a resettlement plan, which will be shared with your office to solicit for intervention.”
Alia enumerated some of the challenges met on assumption of office to include, a dysfunctional civil service with months of unpaid salaries, youth unemployment, hunger and child-malnutrition.
He lamented a situation where Benue State has continued to experience intense conflicts and tensions as a consequence of herders/farmers clashes and inter-communal skirmishes which have continued to disrupt the agrarian lives of the people.
While appealing to the UN representatives for assistance in provision of sanitary facilities to eradicate open defecation, the governor also called for the rehabilitation of the dilapidated educational and health facilities, which he said were derivatives of the incessant attacks on Benue communities, saying the primary health centres and IDPs are in dire need of rehabilitation.
“Your visit today holds great significance as it provides us with an opportunity to strengthen our collaboration and make progress towards our shared goals.
“The United Nations, undoubtedly, stands as a beacon of hope and peace, tirelessly working towards creating a better and more prosperous world for all,” he said.
The leader of the UN delegation, Dr Schmale, who commended the governor for steps taken so far to address insecurity in the state also called on Benue people irrespective of all expectations to see the governor as a human being not as a supernatural being.
“I am very much aware that the expectations of citizens from the governor is very high but irrespective of the God giving powers of miracles to him which he was performing before now, I want you to see him as a human being just like you, rather than seeing him as a supernatural being that can do all in a day,” he said.
Schmale asked the governor to outline his areas of priorities and expectations which he said will make it easier for the UN to know where to support the state.
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