Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for fulfilling some of the promises made to the people of the state during his electioneering campaign.
The Governor spoke during a state dinner organized in honor of the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr Betta Edu and her team at the Banquet Hall, Government House Makurdi.
The Minister was in Benue to perform the ground-breaking ceremony of the Renewed Hope Shelter for poor and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as the distribution of food and non-food items to the IDPs in eight local government areas of the state.
According to Father Alia, President Tinubu has matched words with action by committing to ameliorating the suffering of the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in the state, by addressing humanitarian challenges facing them.
He said the people of Benue state have started benefiting from the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President, saying Benue people will never forget that the President made a promise and fulfilled the promise on record time.
The Governor commended President Tinubu for appointing Dr Edu as Minister in charge of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, describing her as a perfect match for the job.
“Honourable Minister, please convey my appreciation on behalf of the government and people of Benue state to Mr President for fulfilling the Promise made to provide permanent homes for IDPs in Benue State and provide for their livelihood.
“We are happy as a people and we appreciate Mr President for this gesture. I also thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing a quintessentially young and vibrant Minister to take charge of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, she’s doing extremely well and we commend her and her team for a good job.
On his part, the first Class Traditional Ruler in Benue State, His Royal Highness, Chief Vincent Awure,Tor Markudi III, was full of effusive praises for President Tinubu for giving the people of the state a new lease of life.
The Monarch who spoke on behalf of Benue royal fathers said that before the coming of President Tinubu, several communities in the state, including Tatyo and Kyo in Markudi North local government area never knew a day would come when life would be brought back to the communities devastated by herders and bandits attacks.
Recounting the indignities his people have passed through, the Tor Markudi lamented that they have lost many lives and livelihoods, a development that rendered over millions of households homeless, hence their present status as IDPs.
The Monarch stressed that with life now brought back to the communities by the federal and Benue state governments, is phenomenal and they were willing to donate more land for developmental projects.
He however pleaded with the government for more security around the riverine communities.
“On behalf of my kingdom, we appreciate President Tinubu for this gesture and also thank the Honourable Minister, my daughter, Dr Betta Edu for her vision to address humanitarian challenges In Nigeria.
“I have been watching her and her passion for humanitarian response from a distance; she is simply unmatched”
Earlier, Dr Edu commended Governor Alia,the traditional rulers and the people of Benue for the warm reception and hospitality given to her and her team during her two-day working visit to the State.
The Minister assured that her Ministry will collaborate with the state government to provide livelihood for those who have lost their means of survival. While providing transit learning areas for children through the alternate school program
“We want to be able to provide durable solutions to those who have already been affected by this humanitarian crises.
“Beyond this, we have already picked some markets within Benue state where we will be carrying out the markets money scheme, this scheme is a soft loan, a zero-interest loan to market women.
“The market women will be registered right there in the markets and the loans provided for them there to support their businesses. We believe it will help the local economy to thrive.
“There are several other government interventions including the end hunger program, the Code Nigeria program, the YESSO 2.0 program for young people, several interventions that we would be bringing to Benue State.
“The essence is to see that we can first pull those who are in poverty out of poverty and prevent those who are at the borderline, just at the edge of it from falling into poverty.
Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair
SA Media & Publicity to HM
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