Benue IDPs eligible voters must vote in Saturday’s general elections – SEMA Boss

… Distributes food items

By Titus Atondu, Makurdi

Executive Secretary of Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. Emmanuel Shior has disclosed that eligible Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Camps scattered across the state would exercise their franchise in the Saturday’s general elections.

Dr. Shior made the disclosure on Thursday during the agency’s monthly distribution of food and non food items to over 2 million IDPs in the state.

Dr Shior explained that majority of the eligible IDPs were registered and many of them were unable to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) due to the lapses on the side of INEC.

He reaffirmed the agency commitment to ensure that those with their PVCs who are willing to vote are not disenfranchised.

He further explained that the agency was distribuding a total of six trucks of bags of rice where each truck was carrying a total of 120, 000 bags each , 10,000 crates of eggs, 20,000 tubers of yams, thousands cartons of indomine, beddings, blackets and none food items to the IDPs.

He stated that 18 out of the 23 local governments areas of the state were affected by the herders attacks.

The SEMA Boss said the Agency had strengthened security in all the IDPs camps for their safety.

Shior however, decried the lukewarm attitude of federal governnment for not living up to her responsibility of the protection of lives and property of her citizens, especially Benue State citizens, urging the federal government to ensure the safety of all Nigerians by providing adequate security of lives and property across the country.

He appreciated the media for their unflinching support in the discharge of their constitutional responsibility of information gathering and dissemination capped with balanced reportage on herders attacks in the state and urged them to maintain the spirit across the country and Benue State in particular.