From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
A member of House of Representative for Makurdi/ Guma Federal Constituency Rep Emmanuel Jime has blamed the present crisis in the nation which has inflicted hardship and suffering on the people to absolute failure of government at all levels.
The lawmaker who said this at the weekend while donating relief materials to displaced persons in different camps in Makurdi lamented over the invasion of Fulani marauders which has daily displaced the people from their ancestral homes
He said that the main responsibility of any government is to protect and provide for her citizens, positing that failure to do this, as is the case presently, means that there is an absence of governance in the country.
“I am your representative, my work is to ask questions. I have been asking and would continue to ask but it is unfortunate that I lack powers to execute.
“I have not come to see you as a one only sympathizing with you. I am part of you because, as you know, my father’s house, our land have, just like yours, been completely taken over by our enemies”, he regretted.
Jime urged the refugees to remain calm, assuring them that everything is been done to bring the crisis to an end so they could return to their homes and farms.
While handing over the relief materials to the Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Parish North Bank, Very Rev. Fr. Beba who was assisted by Fr. Solomon Mffa of Daudu Parish, himself a refugee now staying with Beba at the church, Jime expressed confidence that the Church will distribute the materials fairly.
“I decided to hand the materials to the Church to distribute as a deliberate strategy to avoid a situation where the materials may be shared on partisan inclinations or sectional sentiments and the fear of camp managers diverting the materials as was the case in previous experiences”, the legislator said.
The camps visited include St. Mary’s Primary School, North-Bank and the most populated but not known one at Aper Aku Housing Estate, Makurdi where 64 bags of rice, 40 bags of beans, 70 bags of garri, 18 cartons of soaps, 18 cartons of maggi were given to the displaced persons.