𝙃𝙊𝙉. 𝙆𝙐𝙉𝘿𝙀 𝘽𝙀𝙂𝙄𝙉𝙎 𝘼𝙎𝙎𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙊𝙁 𝙃𝙐𝙈𝘼𝙉𝙄𝙏𝘼𝙍𝙄𝘼𝙉 𝙎𝙄𝙏𝙐𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝙄𝙉 𝘽𝙀𝙉𝙐𝙀

-𝑫𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒕 𝑲𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒌𝒆 𝑹𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓

-𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝑰𝑫𝑷𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕

The Honourable Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, 𝙃𝙤𝙣. 𝘼𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙆𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚 has commenced an on-the-spot assessment of the humanitarian situation in the state with a visit to the Kereke River in Makurdi and the Ortese Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Guma Local Government Area.

At the Kereke River in Mbagwen Community where three were drowned as a result of the collapse of the bridge linking Northbank to Yogbo, the Commissioner commiserated with the bereaved families and conducted an assessment of the damage with a view to finding temporary and permanent reliefs. 

The incident occurred after the operators of Boat services had shut down operations for the day after a heavy downpour which compelled the deceased persons to attempt swimming across the River to get to their communities.

Hon. Kunde assured the community that the government of 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙧 𝙃𝙮𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙝 𝘼𝙡𝙞𝙖 was working out measures of nipping the issues around the river in the bud as soon as possible, while directing the immediate installation of a solar system to provide adequate lighting at night for the movement of canoes, boats and pedestrians plying the road while a permanent solution is being sought. 

The Commissioner charged the community to ensure the protection of all installations against vandals.

While at the Ortese Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Guma Local Governemnt Area, the Honourable Commissioner interacted with officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Doctors Without Borders, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and commended them for their interventions in ensuring the well-being of the residents. 

He promised to convene a meeting of development partners and other stakeholders in the coming days to fashion out better ways of mitigating the humanitarian challenges facing the State. 

Hon. Kunde also paid a condolence visit to the family of one Isherev Zinga who was murdered by suspected herdsmen while returning from his farm on Monday and urged them to be law abiding as government would work with security agencies to apprehend the murderers and improve security in all Internally Displaced Persons Camps in the State.

The Commissioner also informed the IDPs of government’s determination to ensure their return to their ancestral homes within the shortest possible time.

The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), 𝐌𝐫. 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐮𝐮 who conducted the Honourable Commissioner around the camp informed him that SEMA, along with its International partners had began the biometric enrolment of IDPs in the state to ensure a more effective planning for their welfare, stating further that the exercise which has already been concluded in Makurdi and ongoing in Guma will be extended to all settlements accommodating IDPs in the State.

The Commissioner was accompanied on the tour by the Chairman, Task Force on Governor Hyacinth Alia’s 100 Days in Office, 𝘿𝙧. 𝙈𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙏𝙪𝙡𝙚 and other government officials.

𝐀𝐣𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐣𝐚

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 & 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒄𝒐𝒍