Group faults Ortom’s call for shift of census over IDPs’ plight

Rep-elect pledges to facilitate return of Taraba IDPs

Save Nigeria Movement (SNM) has faulted the call by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State for the postponement of the census due to fears that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) may be excluded.

SNM convener, Rev. Solomon Semaka, at a press briefing, yesterday, in Abuja, described Ortom’s position as insensitive, politically-motivated and unreasonable.

The group maintained that IDPs could be counted anywhere.

Enjoining the governor to separate politics from issues of national interest, the group stressed: “Hiding under the banner of insecurity to call for the postponement of a project that is about to kick off is callous. If insecurity did not stop elections, then it cannot stop the 2023 census.

“Everyone will be counted, as long as they make themselves available in any location. Insinuating that those in IDP camps will not be counted or that they must go back to their ancestral homes before the census will commence is a needless distraction.”

According to the group, since the National Population Commission (NPC) does not handle security matters and Ortom did not call for the postponement of the recent elections, there is no valid reason to even listen to him.

“We encourage Ortom to be challenged by the patriotic and selfless support the NPC has enjoyed from other state governors across the nation. Those state governors have demonstrated capacity, maturity and understanding in supporting the commission without any political undertone.

“It is not late for Ortom to have a rethink and change his position, as it relates to this year’s census exercise. As a state governor, he can be in the forefront, advocating a successful census using political, religious and traditional institutions in the state.”

Meanwhile, the dreams of IDPs in southern parts of Taraba State will soon become reality, as House of Representative member-elect for Takum/Donga federal constituency, Mark Useni, has vowed to lobby his colleagues to help facilitate their return to their ancestral homes.

The IDPs, majority of whom are Tiv, had reportedly been pleading with the outgoing state government to facilitate their resettlement to their ancestral homes.

Useni, who was overwhelmed by the massive turnout of the electorate in the re-run that led to his victory, said one of his major priorities, as soon as he gets to the green chamber of the National Assembly is to facilitate the return of the IDPs.

He said: “I would give priority to the return of the IDPs within the area to let them go about their normal activities to empower themselves.”

Useni, who was House of Assembly Speaker, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he clinched the party’s ticket and eventually won the general ballot.