PEOPLE displaced by insurgency in some parts of the country, at the weekend, called on government at all levels to look beyond the provision of food for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country, while recounting their ordeal.
Also, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Save-A Child Foundation, called on the Federal Government to create a database for IDPs in the country.
The founder of the foundation, Mrs. Adaora Onyechere, disclosed that the move would enable relief get to the exact population in dire need of support and promote better planning by government.
Onyechere, who made the call during a press conference, in Abuja, said that some of the victims, who were mainly from the North-East and Jos, were either forced out of their homes or chased by insurgents.
However, she said it was imperative for relevant agencies such as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to partner with NGOs to address the situation before the 2015 general elections.
According to her, some of the victims should be provided with rehabilitation or relief centres so that they could be empowered, trained and sheltered.
She added that the relevant agencies and development partners should also look beyond provision of staple foods and relief materials.
Job Pitman, from Shendam local Government, Plateau State, lamented how his family of about nine children slept under cashew tree for survival.
Pitman said: “They came to pursue us were we are staying. They demolished the makeshift wooden house. We want government to come to our rescue because we have lost hope. They should help us with a place to live.
“It was fight that chased us out. We don’t have money and even if we have money, we cannot go back because of the fight. Election is near but we cannot vote because our voter cards are in Jos.”
Another victim, Mrs. Joy Abraham, lamented how she slept under the bridge with her husband and three years old daughter before she went to Lokogoma in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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