Benue IDPs protest over Tinubu’s wife’s N1bn donation

Several internally displaced persons from various camps on Wednesday thronged the Makurdi /Laafia federal highway and protested over the donation of the wife of the president, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

The displaced persons were reported to have mobilised themselves and stormed the federal highway, which obstructed the free flow of traffic.

One of the protesters, who simply identified herself as Dooshima, stated that they have been left unattended by the state government.

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Dooshima said that they were aware of the huge support received from various organisations and individuals without corresponding care for the displaced persons.

She said, “Just yesterday (Tuesday), the first lady was here and dropped N1 billion, but we have not heard of anything about it.

“So, several people have been coming to donate, and nothing tangible has been done by the state government to alleviate our suffering”.

Reacting to these allegations, the Information Officer of the State Emergency and Management Agency, Tema Ager, described the protest as a political motivation and added that the government was constantly providing for their needs.

According to Ager, “What triggered this protest was the visit of the first lady yesterday, where she announced the donation of N1 billion.

” You know, the process of getting this money, sometimes they just announce it. It’s when they go back that they process it.

“What she announced yesterday cannot happen today, and so the money is for resettlements, not for food, and some of them are protesting that they were given money before, and we have not shared it with them.

“That money is not meant to be shared with them. The protest was politically motivated. They were supposed to be given food last week, but the event was overtaken by events.

“As we speak, now food is being distributed to them, but they protest that the road was politically motivated. The last time food was distributed to the IDPs was in May this year, but currently, food is being distributed to the IDPs across the state.”

Efforts to get a reaction from the spokesperson for Benue State Command, DSP Udeme Edet, were not successful as she did not pick up her call.