Some Internally Displaced Persons from various camps on Wednesday thronged the Makurdi/Laafia Federal Highway and protested the non-sharing of the N1 billion donation made by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of President Bola Tinubu.
Senator Tinubu, who paid a condolence visit to the state on Tuesday, donated N1 billion for the victims of armed herder attacks.
The displaced persons stormed the Makurdi/Laafia federal highway, which disrupted the free flow of vehicular movement.
One of the protesters, who simply identified himself as Teeser, accused the state government of not giving out several donations it has received from spirited individuals.
He said, “Several people, both private and public-spirited people, have been donating for the upkeep of displaced persons, but nothing has been received from the state government.
“The wife of the president, Senator Tinubu yesterday (Tuesday) donated N1 billion to displaced persons and the state government is yet to reach out to us.
The Information Officer of the State Emergency and Management Agency, Tema Ager, dismissed the claim by the IDPs, saying that no IDP in the state is being starved.
He said that the government was constantly providing for their needs.
He said, “The major issue that triggered this protest is politics. Simply because the first lady visited yesterday and announced that she donated 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.
Reacting to the protest, the Technical Adviser on Media, Communication and Publicity to the state governor, Solomon Iorpev, said that the protest was politically motivated.
“If not so, the wife of president Tinubu, senator Oluremi just gave the cheque on Tuesday which is yet to be cleared and cashed for the purpose it was meant. Today, IDPs have blocked the Makurdi – Lafia- Abuja high way demanding for the money.”
Iorpev said that Governor Alia is keen on ensuring the welfare of the vulnerable groups in the state, and he will be the last person to think of diverting money meant for the less privileged and urged politicians to close ranks to move the state forward.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Police Public Relations Officer for Benue State Command, DSP Udeme Edet, were not successful as calls put to her were unanswered.
