Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, says the ministry will support Plateau Government to resettle and empower Internally Displace Persons (IDPs) in the state.
Farouq stated this when the Governor of Plateau, Mr Simon Lalong, paid her a courtesy visit on Tuesday in Abuja.“I want to commend you for your efforts in taking people out of camps for them to go back to their communities. Plateau State is now at peace.“We have no option but to support you in that regard.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry is putting effort to see how we can go to Plateau and assess the level of support we can give in terms of resettlement and empowerment.“It is important to engage the IDPs to be productive and economic self reliant so that they can provide for their families. This is very important.“On National Social Investment Programme, Plateau is supporting the Federal Government to achieve more, especially the School Feeding Programme. We appreciate that.
“I heard that your government is thinking of complementing us in the sense that while we feed pupils in primary one to three, the state will feed pupils from primary four to six.“I am aware that you indicated interest to absorb the youths in some of the Investment Programmes. You are also doing much in the area of people living with disabilities.“You are a worthy partner with whom we can work together to move humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development to the next level,” Farouq said.Speaking earlier, Lalong said the visit was important and symbolic.According to him, the state has done a lot to keep IDPs in many places to make them have sense of belonging and know that government is concerned about their plight.
“We cannot have peace if our brothers and sisters do not have peace. I want to commend your efforts in feeding the needy and other social investment programmes.“Today, we are here as a government to show that it is a general concern of the state.
This is my first meeting after Supreme Court affirmed my victory at the polls and it concerns IDP.“We are here to solicit for your support in reconstruction of their homes in Plateau because we cannot do it alone due to limited resources.“On the N-Power, we are trying to replicate the programme at the local government level to take people off the streets,” Lalong said.The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports that the governor was accompanied by the leadership of the State House of Assembly and some members of the State Executive Council. (NAN)
