IDPs’ camp manager removed over alleged irregularities

chika ebuzor

September 11, 2017 5:45 PM

Abounu said that the camp manager was relieved of his duty because he violated the instructions given to him.

The Deputy Governor of Benue, Mr Benson Abounu, has confirmed the removal of Mr James Iorhuna, from office as Manager, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camp, International Market, Makurdi.

Abounu who also chairs the state Flood Committee made the confirmation of the removal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Makurdi.

He said that the camp manager was relieved of his duty because he violated the instructions given to him.

Iorhuna was said to have been removed at the weekend, following series of complaints against him by the IDPs.

NAN recall that hundreds of thousands of people were reportedly left homeless while three were confirmed dead, following the flood that ravaged some communities in the state penultimate week.

“It is an internal affair; it is like you have a management situation where someone did not carry out instructions given to him by his boss and the boss gets angry.

“I was momentarily angry and I am still looking into the matter.

“The only thing he did was that I gave instructions that certain things should not be done in the camp and he did not follow the instructions.

“It may not necessarily mean that he engaged in sharp practices,’’ he said.

Abounu said that the camp had registered over 5,000 IDPs most of whom were women and children.

On comfort in the camp, he said that a minimum of two mattresses were distributed to the occupant of each room.

“If anybody was sleeping on the bare floor it was by choice. I was there myself when we distributed the mattresses to all the rooms; we have four persons in a room.

“As I talk to you more mattresses are coming and the state government has also gone ahead to buy some,” he said.

On donations for the flood victims, he said that the state government had yet to receive N250 million donation reportedly announced by Aliko Dangote, one of the country’s business mogul.

“I happen to be the chairman of the flood committee in Benue State and I have not heard of or received such funds. If there is anything like that it is yet to come to my knowledge”.

ALSO READ: Dangote-led relief committee donates N250m to flood victims

He listed some of the organisations that had donated to the IDPs to include NEMA, MIVA rice, Nasarawa State Government, the APC, the Presidency, Nigerian Air Force and UNICEF.

Meanwhile, some of the IDPs have appealed for more supply of beddings to the camp as well as for permanent solution to the perennial flooding in the state.

chika ebuzor