There appears to be succor in sight for victims of perennial flooding along the borderline between Lagos and Ogun states, and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Tatyo and Kyo community in Makurdi North Local Council of Benue State, with the Federal Government’s drive to address their challenges.

The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, who conveyed the Federal Government’s assurance to the areas, said the moves were in fulfillment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to reduce humanitarian crises and poverty challenges in the country.

During her visit to Isheri and Agboyi Ketu – the two communities majorly affected by the recent flooding in Lagos and Ogun states, with about 33,000 people affected, Dr. Edu disclosed that buffer Dams required to empty the Oyan overflow River will be built by the relevant Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, in line with the President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

At Isheri, where the community’s monarch and village heads came out to receive the minister, Edu assured them of continuous engagement and intervention until the problem is solved permanently.

“I bring greetings from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is deeply concerned and has directed me to visit this place to provide immediate relief materials for families affected while we take decisive action to revive the livelihood and small businesses affected by the flood.”

The Minister who delivered food and non-food relief materials to the traditional rulers and representatives of Ogun and Lagos state governments, pleaded with victims of the natural disaster to be patient with the Federal Government as it works with the state to provide a permanent solution to the perennial flooding.

At Agboyi Ketu in Lagos, the Minister inspected the affected areas alongside the House of Representatives member representing Kosofe Federal constituency, Kafila Ogbara.

Dr. Edu, decked in a reflective jacket, navigated the affected areas with a canoe, including Agboyi-Ketu, Owode Onirin, Isheri, Ajegunle, Agiliti, Kara, Majidun, all in Kosofe Local Council and Agboyi Ketu Local Council Development Area, respectively, assured the victims of immediate humanitarian response.

She maintained that the Federal Government was interested in supporting those who lost their businesses to the flood. According to her, President Tinubu has rolled out many new and existing social intervention programmes, including Conditional Cash Transfers, Traders Monies, End Hunger Programme and more, to tackle humanitarian and poverty challenges facing vulnerable Nigerians.

“We are here to assess the extent of the damage caused by the recent flooding in Agboyi-Ketu, Owode Onirin, Isheri, Ajegunle, Agiliti, Kara, Majidun, all in Kosofe and Ketu Agboyi local council areas and to also present food and nonfood items as a form of humanitarian assistance and response. It is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“The President is deeply touched by this flood challenge and he has promised to bring a permanent solution to this reoccurring problem. We are well aware that beyond these palliatives, what you desire is a permanent solution to this perennial flooding and I shall communicate your message to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

“I want to assure you that talks are ongoing about the construction of buffer Dams to tackle this challenge and when next I’m here, it will be to join other ministers and government officials to commission some of these projects that will help to permanently end this problem.”

IN Benue State, the minister performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of Renewed Hope shelter for the poor and IDPs at Tatyo and Kyo community in Makurdi.

She performed the groundbreaking alongside the State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, with a promise to work with the state government in ensuring that the IDPs returned to their ancestral homes.

While speaking, Dr. Edu said the project was also in fulfillment of the President’s promise to reduce humanitarian crises and poverty challenges in Nigeria. “The President assured Benue people that if he was voted into power, he would provide security and resettles them back to their ancestral homes where some have been out for over 10 years following the herdsmen-farmers conflict.

The Minister commended Governor Alia for ensuring that peace returned to Tatyo and Tyo communities, as well as other communities, which have been engulfed with violence since 2012 resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands from their homes.

Notably, since 2011, over 12,000 people have lost their lives in Tatyo alone, and thousands more rendered homeless due to attacks by suspected armed herders in the Markudi North local council area of the state.

The Renewed Hope shelter, which has a learning centre, health centre, and market, according to Dr. Edu will be built by the community members in clusters under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in partnership with the Benue State Government.

She expressed sadness over the IDPs’ experience these past years and pledged that “for these wonderful people that have come from the IDP camps, the journey back to your ancestral homes has begun, ‘this is the beginning of a journey to return home.’

“As we drove down here, I felt pain. I felt lots of pain. I saw deserted communities, and I saw the “food basket of the nation” reduced to want and anguish. President Tinubu says hope is finally back to Benue; we need everyone to go back to the farms so we can have food security!

The Minister stressed that Benue was key in the food security agenda of the President’s Eight Point Agenda.”Part of President Tinubu’s eight-point agenda is food security and Benue is the Food Basket of the nation, this state is therefore, key to him in terms of achieving food security, hence peace and tranquility of Benue, as well as the welfare of the people are uppermost in his mind, she said.

Speaking further, Dr.Edu stated: “You cannot reduce the hope of a nation, the food basket of a nation, the food security stronghold of Nigeria to want, pain and anguish. Mr. President has sent me here to give the message of renewed hope to the people of Benue. I can tell you for sure that hope is here. Hope is here.”

Earlier, Governor Alia lamented the suffering the displaced indigenes of the state had been through, saying their plight was quite heart-rending.
According to the Governor, “they’ve been longing to get back home and do what they know how to do best, which is farming. We have been working with the youths, security and faith-based organisations among others to ensure that the displaced persons get on their feet again and possibly return to their ancestral homes.”

The Governor commended Dr. Edu for her passion and empathy for vulnerable persons in the state and promised to work with the Federal Government to ensure that the IDPs return to their ancestral homes.The Benue State number one citizen applauded President Tinubu for fulfilling his campaign promise to the IDPs by providing Renewed Hope Shelters to them.