FIRS donates food items to 1,550 IDPs

chika ebuzor

January 8, 2016 7:01 AM

The Chairman, FIRS, Mr Tunder Fowler, said that Nigerians felt their pains and would do everything to make them comfortable.

A camp for Internally Displaced Persons in Yola.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on Thursday donated food items to 1,550 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Gwoza and Bama camps at Dururmi, FCT, to improve their standard of living.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, said that the donation by the FIRS signified government's efforts and support to the IDPs.

The Minister was represented by the Director, Technical Services Department, Finance, Mrs Larai Shuabu.

Adeosun said that the essence of the donation was to enhance the living condition of the people.

She called on other government entities to follow suit, to ensure good health care services.

"There are certain things that one entity cannot do alone; so today we see one of the entities, an agency of government, FIRS, contributing its quota in terms of providing support to IDPs.

"We are here to support and this support signifies government efforts and support to this people and to show them that we feel their plight and we are doing all our best to make them comfortable."

The Vice Chairman, House of Representative Committee on Finance, Mr August Chukukere, said that Nigerians felt the pains of the IDPs and expressed the hope that the situation would soon normalise.

"I believe that God will help to make sure that things like this doesn’t happen anymore so that our children will have time to go to school and learn for their future.

"I urge you to take heart; we know that in a short while the suffering will be over,’’ Chukukere said.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. John Enoh, said with the current administration's efforts, Boko Haram would be come to past.

"I believe everybody soon will return to their homes.''

The Camp Coordinator, Mr Idris Halilu, said the state of the IDPs was a national challenge.

He, therefore, called on corporate bodies, NGOs and government agencies to support them.

Halilu said that this was the first time since the creation of Gwoza and Bama IDP camps that a minister and senator visited.

Halilu listed the challenges faced by the IDPs, especially in the area of housing, lack of facilities for ante-natal, delivery and emergencies.

Halilu said there were 1,550 IDPs in the camp from the North-West, adding that some of them had been in the camp for four to six years.

"We are calling on other entities to support us in skill acquisition so that people here can have a form of training,’’ Halilu said.

The Chairman, FIRS, Mr Tunder Fowler, said that Nigerians felt their pains and would do everything to make them comfortable.

chika ebuzor