Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Center For Peace Education and Community Development (CEPEACECODE), a non governmental organization based in Jalingo, has petitioned the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) over reportedly neglecting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Taraba and Adamawa states.
In a petition signed by the convener of CEPEACECODE, Dr Joseph Gimba, and addressed to the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja, Gimba alleges that the IDPs in Taraba have not received any support from NEMA for a long time, while those in Adamawa last received food items about two months ago, and have not received non food items for several months.
Gimba urged the DG to take urgent steps to address the challenges of the IDPs in line with the mandate of NEMA for the sake of humanity.
“After a trip to the locations of IDPs in Taraba and Adamawa states and an interview with the relevant leaderships of the IDPs and some of the IDPs, we discovered that NEMA is deliberately neglecting IDPs largely due to bureaucratic bottlenecks and lack of concern for their wellbeing. A look at the NEMA warehouse speaks volumes on this neglect and lack of regular approval being given to the zonal office to supply food and non food items to IDPs,” Gimba stated.
“That for the past two years, your agency did not distribute non food items like slippers, mattresses, blankets, etc, to IDPs in Yola, while you have not distributed food items for the past two months.
“In Taraba, the IDPs have been neglected for so long that one wonders if NEMA even exists. Though NEMA is in charge of these camps, all necessary actions as contained in the mission of NEMA have been lacking in recent times.
“Based on our findings and interview with the leadership of the IDPs, we write to your good office to take immediate action on the above actionable areas for the sake of humanity within a reasonable time.
Our organization will be left with no option but to organise civic action to drum this inhuman neglect.”
Daily Sun reports that IDPs in Jalingo recently alleged that they are dying of starvation, with some children in the camps suffering from acute malnutrition.