By Eben Enasco Kingsley Benin City.
In fulfillment of promises made to inmates of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Uhogua near Benin City, the Edo State Government has donated items running into several millions of naira to victims of the Boko Haram attacks taking refuge in the camp.
Presenting the items to the management of the camp on behalf of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Mrs Blessing Maigida, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development and Mrs Aenena Jemitola, Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism respectively said that the government was concerned about the welfare of the inmates.
They also expressed the hope that the items would go a long way in ensuring that the inmates were well field and taken care of as well as making them feel at home and welcomed in the state.
According to Jemitola, the government would also ensure that the inmates do not lose their cultural values like such as their languages and norms, just as they would also be taught on the various cultures of the people of the state.
She also said that government would ensure that the displaced persons were trained in skills acquisition adding that staff of the ministry would be deployed regularly to achieve this.
On her part, Mrs Maigida said she was optimistic that with the attention and care provided by the state government, the boko haram victims would not have too much cause to reflect on the ills of the past.
Meanwhile, the elated manager of the camp, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho who was still basking in the euphoria of the governor’s visit on said that the items would in no small measure address the problem of hunger and lack in the camp.
He said the camp now has enough food items to last them for some time and that they would do an in-house administrative work to increase the number of cooks to cater for the needs of the camp residents.
Some of the Boko Haram victims in the camp said they were happy with the attention the government was giving them and that given the opportunity they feel at home in the state.
According to Mary Andrew and Dike Stanley and Ayuba John both from Gwoza in Borno State, they said they have no reason to want to leave the state since the state Government has received and welcomed them in the state and the mission was currently training them in various skills.
The items delivered to the camp include 500 bags of rice, five live cows, several cartons of noodles, yoghurt drinks, tomato paste, tooth paste among others.
It will be recalled that Governor Adams Oshiomhole had promised during his on-the-spot assessment of facilities at the camp, recently, promised that the state government would take care of their needs, provide them with food items, Medicare services and construct a primary and secondary school in the camp and post government teachers to the school.
