From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Middle Belt Movement for Justice and Peace, (MBMJP) has said that the Benue people are not happy with the Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress, APC because of the humanitarian crisis that was caused by herdsmen invasion and attacks in the state.
Convener of MBMJP, Comrade Joe Bukka stated this in a statement he made available to newsmen in Makurdi at the weekend added that Benue people will continue to resent the federal government for abandoning them in their time of need.
He said no state would be happy to have over 1.5 million of its farming populace now residing in Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs) camps like Benue currently has with little or no assistance from the federal government.
"Benue state is facing its worst economic and humanitarian crisis without any tangible or meaningful assistance coming from the federal government.
"Majority of Benue people are not happy that victims of herdsmen crisis in the state are stilled holed up in IDPs camps and not catered for by the federal government.
"Benue is understandably not happy with the Federal Government because over 1.5 million of the farming populace of the state are currently taking refuge in IDPs camps and not in their farms, forcing the prices of food stuffs in the state to go beyond the reach of the ordinary people in one of the states you ordinarily get the cheapest food in the country.
Bukka lamented that the Benue people are still pained that years after the federal Government promised to resettle the IDPs, that promise is yet to be fulfilled while their counterparts in the North East are getting all the attention and being supported by the government.
"The people of Benue state feel betray that the Federal Government has refused to treat and accord serious attention to the humanitarian crisis in the state thereby leaving the already overwhelmed state government to continue to shoulder the challenge alone.
“The general impression in the state is that by leaving the state government with its little resources to cater for over 1.5 million IDPs, the federal government cared less about the humanitarian situation in the state.
“So the truth is that the people of Benue state are not happy with the Federal Government and until the government lives up to its constitutional responsibilities by taking steps to resettle the displaced persons and assist the state government to tackle the humanitarian crisis, Benue people will continue to resent the federal government for abandoning them in their time of need,” he said.
