Why I’ve not revisited IDPs camps -Buhari

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja 

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, decried the poor state of infrastructure in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps saying he has found it difficult to revisit the camps because of the sorry sights that confronted him during his last visit in August 2019. 

Buhari who stated this while inaugurating the National Humanitarian Coordination Committee (NHCC) accused those managing funds from Non-Governmental Organisations and international organisations for the IDPs of being reckless saying beneficiaries were not feeling the impact of the funds.

The NHCC is chaired by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadia Umar and National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Mungonu as co-Chairman. Buhari, however, said he wanted the former Minister of Defence,  Gen. Theophilius Danjuma (rted) to head the committee to ensure accountability of funds,  but that he had pleaded to be excused arguing that age was not on his side.

“I will like to make some comments based on my visit to some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps. I went only three times and since then I have not gone back because I couldn’t stand it, it is really terrible. The pathetic scenes I saw pushed me to ask one of the most respected generals we had in the military, Gen. T. Y. Danjuma, initially to head this organisation. Because, what we receive from NGOs sometimes does not permeate; does not go down to the people there. If you see the children they don’t know their fathers, not to talk of where they come from. So I had to beg Gen. Danjuma to come and be in charge so that our resources are properly utilised, because some Nigerians are really reckless. They don’t care whose money it is they will put it in their own pockets.

“I had to get Gen. Danjuma, but when he told me that age was not on his side, I got documents from intellectuals so that we could set up a ministry that will coordinate the activities of NEMA and others so that the sources can be properly accounted for.”