By Scholastica Joseph, Makurdi
Victims Support Fund, VSF, founded by former Minister of Defence, Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma, has concluded plans to spend over N1billion in six local government areas of Benue State affected by insurgency.
The local government include, Guma, Gwer West, Konshisha, Logo, Ado and Agatu.
Team Lead, Benue State Emergency Support Programme of VSF, Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji said another N180 million will be spent on economic empowerment programmes for the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in the state.
Speaking on Tuesday at the flag off of distribution of relief materials to IDPs in Ortese camp, Guma local government area, said VSF has designed programmes that will respond to the needs of the people.
She disclosed that the programme will cover seven strategic areas of food distribution, health and medical care, pschyo-socio support and mental living, safety and shelter, water, hygiene, provide support for primary health care centers.
Mrs Akerele-Ogunsiji who stated that she went round the six local governments, described as massive and incredible, the destruction of infrastructures in the State and urged the Federal government to take steps to reconstruct the damaged communities so that the people can return to their ancestral homes and engage in farming.
“The Victims Support Funds, VSF, was established in 2014 to cater for victims of terrorism in Nigeria. It is to complement the Federal Government effort in taking care of victims of terrorism.
“Terrorism has spread to the North Central that is why we are intervening. This is the third time we are doing so in the State
“It is the first of its kind in comprehensive humanitarian Programme in Nigeria democracy. The food items should be able to reach within six months for over 100,000 people.”
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom commended the VSF for the intervention and reminded the Federal Government to be alive to her responsibility of securing the lives of Nigerians.
The Governor who lamented insensitive treatment of IDPs by the federal government expressed shock saying “Those in Abuja are not human beings. Do they have blood flowing through their systems at all? How can they allow over 1.5 million to be in IDP camps? Imagine over 22,000 people staying in a camp under the rain and sun”,
