Reps. speaker pleads with Nigerians to assist IDPs

olamide olarewaju

February 7, 2016 7:36 PM

Dogara further expressed government’s commitment to rebuilding the North-East with parts of the recovered loots by the government.

House of Reps Speaker, Yakubu Dogara

Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has appealed to spirited individuals to support the government in providing for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.

The call made on Sunday when the speaker visited the IDPs camp in Benin City, Edo, is contained in statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan, in Abuja.

He urged the IDPs not to lose hope in overcoming their current situation and assured them that government was doing everything possible to return them to their various communities.

``When I came in here I saw a people who are determined not to be broken down in spite of the circumstances that surround them.

``I must encourage you. I am of the region of the north where you came from and I am also affected.

``I had to concede one of my houses for IDPs from Yobe and Borno state to live in,’’ Dogara said, and urged the people to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and always put their trust in God.

He said ``the situation we found ourselves is not just peculiar to us but has been happening in the course of human history.

``It is painful, very painful; you may remember how you left and the people you left behind and I know that 40 per cent of you here are orphans.

``You may be tempted to always cast your mind back over what happened to you. Once you are stuck in that, you will be filled with bitterness and anger and if that happens, you can’t make progress.

``I know it is difficult but we have to take our minds off it.’’

According to him, where people have trust in God, there is no situation that God cannot change.

``Some countries have passed through similar or even worse situations but with faith in God and determination they emerged stronger,’’ he added.

He said that it was by divine intervention that the country was not taken over by insurgents.

He said that it was prayers of many Nigerians against the Boko Haram insurgents that brought the change in the Federal Government the country was now witnessing.

Dogara assured the IDPs that they would return to their communities very soon, pointing out that the present government was desperate to wipe out insurgency anywhere in the country.

``This is something we must do because we have no other country than Nigeria,’’ he stated.

olamide olarewaju