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July 30, (THEWILL) — The Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Publicity and Strategic Communication, Chief Solomon Iorpev, has described the protest by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) over a ₦1bn donation by First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as politically motivated.
Speaking on Wednesday, Iorpev alleged that the protest was sponsored by political mischief makers aiming to discredit Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration.
“If not for mischief, the First Lady just presented the cheque on Tuesday, and it hasn’t even been cleared or cashed for its intended use. Yet today, IDPs have blocked the Makurdi–Lafia–Abuja highway demanding for the money,” he said.
He reiterated that Governor Alia remains committed to the welfare of vulnerable groups and would never consider diverting funds meant for the less privileged.
He urged political actors to put aside differences and join hands in moving the state forward.
Our correspondent gathered that IDPs from various camps in the North Bank area of Makurdi blocked the major highway as early as 6:00 a.m., disrupting vehicular movement and commercial activities.
Many travellers plying the Makurdi–Abuja route were stranded for hours, while others were forced to turn back due to the gridlock caused by the protest.
It will be recalled that the First Lady, during her condolence visit to the state on Tuesday, announced a ₦1bn donation for displaced victims and called for peace to end the protracted violence in Benue communities.
She had warned that continued attacks could trigger food insecurity and distributed relief materials to help cushion the impact on victims.
Efforts to reach the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Catherine Edet, for confirmation of the protest were unsuccessful as she did not respond to calls or messages at the time of filing this report.
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Source: TheWillNigeria | Read More
