Return Home Benue Govt Urges 200 Flood Victims in Camp

Benue State Government yesterday told 200 persons affected by the recent  flood in the state to go home following the partial closure of the camp even as more donors continue to bring relief materials to the camp.

The state government however provided materials to those decamped as several persons were seen leaving the camp with items like mattresses, bags of rice, noddle among others items.

Confirming this, the Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Boniface Ortega, explained that there is dire need to decamp the victims following assessment carried out that the flooded home are now safe.

He said the agency would turn their attention to the town for intervention.

"There have been a lot of cries in town. So, we are going into town to carry out assessment and give relief materials. I want to assure everyone affected that there is adequate relief materials to give them," Ortom said.

He, however, decried the manner the camp was infiltrated by people whom he categorised as hungry, poor,  those affected by nonpayment of salary, lack of resources and area boys internally displaced persons.

 

It should be noted that over 500 persons were camped at the IDPs camp located inside the international  market.

More succour however came the way of those leaving in camp as more donor and cooperate organisations continued to provide relief materials to the camps.

The management of Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC), as part of its social responsibility, donated items worth several million of naira to the state government for the use of the camp

Regional Head of JEDC, Chief Ayodeji Adetoye, said the effect of the flood on the victims was massive, adding that his company brought food and sanitary items to alleviate the plight of the people who are mostly customers of the company

Also, the Lions Club International, District 404, Nigeria, donated relief materials worth over N10 millions to the victims of flood disaster in the state.

The relief materials comprises clothes, shoes, toiletries, bedding materials, groceries, sanitary materials, food items, assorted drugs among others.

Presenting the relief materials at the IDPs’ camp at International Market Makurdi, the District Governor, Ephrem Akwowo, said it became necessary because of the need to extend hand of love and care to people in distress.

He said the trauma the victims of the disaster are going through could only be imagined, stressing that it is a natural disaster that nobody could have prevented it.

Akwowo prayed to the Almighty God to console the victims and government of the state, adding that they will still come back to take holistic assessment of the damage done by the flood with a view to make further donations to the affected people.