Succour For Borno IDPs As Edu Flags Off Relief-Materials Distribution
By Edem ITA
The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, has commenced the distribution of non-food items to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) covering over 900 households at Shwari Camp 5 in Maiduguri, the Borno capital.
The relief items include hundreds of mattresses, pillows, blankets, footwear, wrappers, and treated Insecticide mosquito nets.
Speaking at the flag-off, the Minister assured the 480,000 unregistered IDPs that the Federal Government was not unmindful of their plight and humanitarian needs, stressing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, which is geared toward eradicating poverty In conjunction with the state government will address their peculiar needs.
She promised them that the social register, conditional cash transfer, and other social intervention programs of the federal government would be updated to include their data.
Dr. Edu expressed optimism that the relief items will go a long way in buffering their harsh living condition while the government explore a permanent solution to the challenge.
"The goal is to get everybody wherever they are, out of poverty and humanitarian crises, this is the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
"The President has directed that Nigerians who are living under one dollar per day, not even one dollar ninety-five cents daily, should be reached and pulled out of poverty.
"Vocational skill training, micro small and medium size enterprises amongst other interventions are important for those who are here and ready, but for those who can trace where they came from, we will reunite them with their families and provide them with economic start-up capital to remove them and their families out of poverty", the Minister said.
She stated further; "For some of you who have lost your husbands or children, Mr President says your resettlement is inevitable, in partnership with the State Government and other development partners.
"President Tinubu has asked me to tell you that, you will be given economic startup and properly reintegrated back into society".
She decried the poor living conditions of the unregistered IDPs who are largely from Northern Borno, vowing "We must change the narrative". She commended the State Governor Professor Zulum for having an exceptional interest in the well-being of the IDPs.
Speaking, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Zuwaira Gambo, who was on hand to conduct the Minister around the camp said, the State Government had at various times provided for the IDPs.
Gambo appealed to the Federal Government through the Minister to compliment the efforts of the Borno Government meant to ameliorate the suffering of the ever-increasing IDPs.
"We appreciate your coming, Honourable Minister; the distribution of these nonfood items will go a long way to cushion the suffering of these IDPs.
"We equally appreciate Mr. President for his interest in the humanitarian needs of our people in various IDP camps in this State", the Commissioner said.
The Minister was accompanied to the IDP camp by the Acting Honourable Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees Migrants and IDPs, Ambassador Catherine Udida, and other top officers of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alle
