By Correspondent in Jalingo
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Monday, distributed relief materials to 30,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
In Taraba state, Northeast Nigeria.
The Director-General of the agency made this known at the Official Flag- Off of the distribution of the items to the beneficiaries in the 16 local government areas in Jalingo, the state capital.
Muhammad, who was represented by Mr. Maidalla Iliya, NEMA Head of Operations, Adamawa/Taraba Operations Office, said that the items comprised of food and non food materials, adding that the relief materials were further harmonised into 5,000 households.
Muhammad explained that the gesture was in line with the agenda of Hajiya Sa’adiya Farouk, the Minister of Humanitarian, Disaster Management and Social Development on bringing succour to the IDPs in the state.
He, however, said that the items which includes Rice (12.5kg), beans (25kg), vegitable oil, beverages, mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets among many others were to be distributed to all the 16 local government areas of the state.
Muhammad, further revealed that the approval was granted based on the assessment carried out earlier by a disaster assessment team in the agency which visited all the crisis affected areas in the state.
He advised the beneficiaries not to feel that they were compensated by the government, adding that the items were provided just to relieve them and sustain them for a moment.
He,therefore, gave assurance that the materials would get to the geniune people they were meant for, stressing that the agency had developed a mechanism for ensuring efficient delivery of items to the targeted people.
“Our staff have been deployed to all the IDPs camps in the state to ensure efficient delivery of relief items to the targeted people”. Said (rtd) AVM Muhammad.
Earlier, Mr. Taninga Binga, Taraba State Commissioners for Special Duties and Humanitarian Affairs, commended the Federal government for the assistance.
Represented by Mr. Samson Tijos, Secretary in the ministry, Binga expressed satisfaction with the quality and quantity of the materials provided by NEMA.
He also thanked the federal government for considering the request made by the Govenernor Darius Ishaku concerning the plight of the IDPs in the state.
In his address, Alhaji Abdulnaseer Bobboji, Chairman, Jalingo Local Government Area, appealed to the Federal government to assist the IDPs with building materials, adding that many of them wanted to return to their homes but faced with the challenge of shelter.
Bobboji also appealed to NEMA and SEMA to consider provision of more relief items to Jalingo community which housed many IDPs from various local governments of the state.
He thanked Governor Ishaku for taking up the complaints of victims of communal crisis to the federal government, as well as the federal government for granting the succour to the IDPs, saying that they still needed more.
The Chairman urged the beneficiaries not to segregate against other IDPs in the course of sharing the relief materials, saying that Jalingo as a state capital had accommodated IDPs from various places.
Some of the beneficiaries said that the materials would go along way in cushioning the effect of hardship accostums with IDPs.
Mrs Dorathy Garba, also a beneficiary IDP, thanked the Federal government for the gesture.
