Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has reached out to Nigerians to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state.
The plea was made on Sunday at separate thanksgiving masses held at St Dominic Catholic Church, Sachi, and St Joseph’s Quasi-Parish, Nyon, to mark the anniversary celebrations of Titus Uba, speaker of the Benue House of assembly, and Paul Unongo, a former chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), respectively.
According to a statement by Terver Akase, the governor’s spokesman, Ortom said that Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has solicited the support of Nigerians to cushion the effect of the humanitarian crisis in the state occasioned by the over five years stays of people in Internally Displaced Persons’ camps.
Governor Ortom acknowledged the support of the Church, especially the Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe; the Governors of Rivers, Taraba and the Akwa Ibom States, donor and faith-based organisations, as well as individuals to the plight of the over 1.5 million IDPs.
Governor Ortom also called on Nigerians to continue to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders in the country to enable them to provide leadership that would engender peace and unity in the country.
In Benue state, many residents of the state have been forced out of their farms to seek refuge in Internally Displaced People’s Camp due to insecurity.
