Benue Govt partners IOM to capture data of IDPs

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Benue State Government is collaborating with the International Organization for Migration, IOM to capture data of Internally Displaced Persons ,IDPs in the State.
Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency James Iorpuu disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday during an interaction.
Iorpuu frowned at the continued stay of IDPs in camps, explaining that the essence of the Biometric data capture is to ascertain the actual number of IDPs in the State with the aim of returning them to their ancestral homes.
According to him,”As soon as I assumed office, I wrote to IOM and the UN country representative accepted to train our staff on issues of IDPs.
“Borno State Zulum have successfully returned the IDPs to the homes with the help of IOM. Biometric data of IDPs is ongoing. IOM is doing this. There is a process of returning them to their homes.
“19 out of 23 local government areas have been earmarked for the exercise including Moon in kwande council area which has been deserted for over 10 years”,the SEMA boss said.
He then sure for cooperation of the media to enable him succeed.
On distribution of food items to the IDPs, he assured that the agency would be transparent, saying, ‘I promise that no grain of rice will find its way into my house. I appeal to well meaning individuals to assist SEMA with food items to distribute to the IDP’.