From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Benue state governor, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has appealed to the United Nations, (UN), to support his administration to enable him fight insecurity in the state and resettle the Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs), back to their ancestral homes.
Alia made the request on Wednesday, when he received the UN delegation in Government House in Makurdi, led by the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Mathias Schmale.
Governor Alia, who appreciated the United Nations for it’s efforts at resolving conflicts across the world through peaceful means said the government and people of Benue state have been threatened by insecurity.
He called on them to intervene saying his administration is determined to resettle the back to their ancestral homes and has directed the State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), to put up a resettlement plan that will also be submitted to UN for their support.
Alia told the UN that his administration, on assumption of office, encountered an enormous humanitarian crises occasioned by various forms of conflicts and natural disasters, which has left the state with IDPs, covering 37,412 households with a total population of Two million, One hundred and Twenty Four thousand (2,124,000).
“Out of this number, 241,342 persons are in 13 IDP camps while the balance of One million, Eight hundred and Eighty Two thousand, Six hundred and Fifty Eight (1,882,658) live within their host communities.
“The plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) cannot be overlooked. SEMA has been directed to put together a resettlement plan, which will be shared with your office to solicit for intervention.
He noted that besides a dysfunctional civil service with months of unpaid salaries, youth unemployment, hunger and child-malnutrition, the state has continued to experience intense conflicts and tensions as a consequence of herder/farmers clashes, intercommunal skirmishes which have continued to disrupt the agrarian lives of our people.
“Security remains a pressing concern in our state, particularly in relation to herder-farmer conflicts. We are committed to finding lasting solutions to these disputes and fostering peaceful coexistence among all residents.
“We look to the United Nations for support in implementing comprehensive security initiatives, such as community policing programs, early warning systems, and conflict resolution mechanisms,” he added.
The Governor urged the UN to make Benue a hub of its activities saying the state is open for collaboration, investment, and growth.
While appreciating the organization for their past interventions, Alia said “Your visit alongside this strong team, serves as a poignant reminder of the remarkable impact your office wants to unleash on Benue state. Your earlier interventions have not only transformed lives but also given hope to those who need it most.
Earlier, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Mathias Schmale, said they were in the state to partner with the government, to enable it achieve more for the people of the state.
He charged the government to outline it’s development agenda for the United Nations to intervene, stating that since the organization is good at conflict resolutions, it can equally trace the root causes of the herder/farmer clashes and cause a lasting solutions.
It also pledged to provide immediate humanitarian support to the needs of the IDPs, while also looking at ways of returning them to their ancestral homes.
Schmale also urged the Benue people to give the governor more time and support to enable him meet their yearnings for a turnaround,