The Executive Governor of Plateau State Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has solicited the support of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in order to ameliorate the sufferings of Internally Displaced Persons scattered across 13 Camps in Mangu LGA and other areas. Governor Mutfwang made the call on Wednesday 12th July 2023 when he paid a courtesy visit on Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), at the Headquarters of Agency in Abuja.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor Gyang Bere and made available to journalists on Wednesday 12th July 2023, Governor Mutfwang applauded the Agency for its swift intervention whenever the state was engulfed in humanitarian crisis. Adding in his own words that “Before I even came into office, I know that NEMA has always extended its goodwill to us when there was a storm in Mangu. We received that package and our people were very happy. Also, with the recent development that bothers on insecurity, we also received the goodwill of NEMA and it has gone a long way in addressing some of the fall out of the security challenges.”
“At the last count, we had IDPs in about 13 different locations and it is unfortunate. Part of this visit is to brief Heads of Security Agencies on the true situation on the Plateau and to harvest their goodwill to ensuring that this challenge is brought to an end.”
“Plateau is a multi-lingual state, is a multi-religious state and we have always lived in peace with one another but in the last two to three months, there is a dimension in which it has taken. There are places which hitherto were quite peaceful and one of the places is my own Local Government Area Mangu. Before now, it was one of the most safest places but now, it has come under serious siege.”
“As Government, we are doing everything to reassure the people that we can still live together but some vested interests find a way of bringing in mercenaries from outside who have attacked those communities. Their houses have been destroyed and their properties vandalized.”
“Few of the communities which have managed to still farm, these insurgents come in the night and cut the maize which has already grown and if you can farm in Mangu for example, it makes a significant contribution to food security in Nigeria and this year, there will be reduction in food production.”
Governor Mutfwang used the opportunity to appeal to NEMA to come to the aid of the innocent communities that have been made to go through this unfortunate humanitarian crisis.
Governor Mutfwang reassured Plateau people of government’s commitment towards addressing the vicious attacks on innocent communities in the state.
While responding, the Dorector General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Habib Ahmed appreciated Governor Mutfwang for the visit, while assuring that the Agency will do everything possible to assist the victims.
He expressed sincere appreciation to Governor Mutfwang for donating a befitting office for the smooth operations of the Agency, adding that that will aid their on-the- spot assessment of the current situation for swift intervention.
Nigeria Star News 