Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State emphasized on Tuesday that one of the primary needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state is to be relocated to their ancestral homes.
He further reassured that his administration is diligently working to facilitate the resettlement of IDPs before the onset of the rainy season.
Governor Mutfwang made these remarks during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International (COFI) at the Government House in Jos, the state capital.
He said, “One of the greatest needs for us now is how to move our people out of the Internally Displaced Persons camps, back to their settlement.
“We are trusting God that before the rains set in, we will be able to move, if not all, a substantial number. That means that we have to provide security, rebuild their homes and give them some economic empowerment so that they can be able to settle back into their communities.
“Truth is, most of our people that have been dislocated, they are not used to begging nor receiving alms, they feel more fulfilled when they are doing something for themselves.
“So, many of them are passing through a mental torture of having to stay in IDP camps.
“We appreciate all the assistance that is coming, but the way our people are wired is that they take pride in labouring with their hands.
“And that is why we are determined by God’s grace to make sure that we facilitate their return to their ancestral homes.
“So this is a kind of cooperation and collaboration we seek to build in the coming days, and see how God will help us to do that.”
Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the delegation, Pastor Arinze Emmanuel, said the Foundation responds to crises around the world and also provide hope to those affected.
He added that the Foundation has given relief to crisis ridden communities within and outside the country.