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From Idu Jude, Abuja
Rivers West Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo has urged the federal government of Nigeria to seek a permanent solution to end the internally displaced persons (IDP) system in Nigeria.
She said the present administration should, as a matter of urgency, expedite actions to avoid inherent risks associated with public health diseases.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, who made the call while spending her Christmas Day celebration with the inmates of the IDP camp in Durumi area, Abuja, stated that, despite the efforts of the federal government to end insurgency, other challenges are leading to the slow implementation of programmes and possible abandonment.
The former Rivers State Deputy Governor further noted that the 2026 health budget for the Ministry of Health will go a long way in addressing Nigerian health challenges.
“I think it will do a lot, provided there will be a lot of oversight, provided that the people are principled in the way they carry out their functions, provided that the funds go directly to what they are meant for, because this budget proposal is the highest this country has seen. It is not as much as we want it to be, but we are still pushing. But for now we all know that the budget will start in 2026, but if it starts, it will do a lot in the area of maternal care, child care, on the care of pandemics, on the issue of disabilities and IDPs, and generally on improving the standard of living and improving the lives of the people.”
In her resolve for a permanent solution to the plight of the inmates of IDP camps, which number about 15, she said that, rather than giving handouts to the inmates, the government should optimise plans to ensure that the inherent health hazards associated with an overcrowded, unsanitised environment do not escalate into a pandemic.
“I can tell you that nobody wants to live outside their homes somewhere else simply because theirs were destroyed. Look at the plight of the children without homes. Look at the parents who are the breadwinners. Do you think these people are happy living here? They are not. Look at the places they stay; are they the best places? It is not even the best place for our pets to stay. So the best thing is for the government to hurry up and win the war against insurgency, so that these people will hurry back to their ancestral homes where they will feel secure and contribute meaningfully to the economy of this country.
“And that is why I’m confident that what I have seen so far in the renewed war against insecurity is that sooner than later, the issue of IDPs will be a thing of the past. This is not actually their home. I empathise, and at the same time, I know that the situation is going to change.
“So in all these, why I’m here is that I’m a product of God’s grace, a product of His mercy. So coming here today is an opportunity for me to help the inmates on this day we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“I’m even enjoying the sun and being with these wonderful people down here, and as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, all these people are my people.”
On the inherent health dangers associated with the over-congested IDP camps, she highlighted that part of the oversight function of the Senate Committee on Health is to ensure the normal health conditions of every Nigerian.
“Let me also tell you that one of my reasons for being here is that part of our oversight duties includes the IDPs. But I don’t regard them as IDPs; I regard them as special people.”
Speaking during the occasion, Mr Idris Ibrahim Halilu, Coordinator and spokesperson for all the FCT’s 18 IDP camps, appealed to the National Assembly to ensure legislation of the IDPs bill before them, as such would ensure proper coordination of the programme.
Mr Umar Gola from Adamawa State, who is the Durumi Area 1 public relations officer, was full of praise for Senator Banigo. He revealed that the senator, since the establishment of the camp, was the second person among lawmakers that had visited: “You are the second person in over ten years.”
The camp women’s leader, Mrs Liyatu Ayuba Yusuf, prayed for a sudden end to the IDP situation and possibly a day to resettle at their ancestral homes. She prayed for God’s sustenance and guidance to the senator and among other Nigerians who have the will to give to the less privileged people in society.
Items donated included 300 bags of 25 kg rice, 300 cartons of noodles, and cooked foods for sustenance.
