The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from some villages in Plateau State camping at the facility of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) in Jos, the state capital, have been served a quit notice.
The quit notice which was contained in a letter dated 22 October, 2019 and signed by the NMGS’ General Secretary, Dr A.S. Olatunji, was addressed to the Camp Coordinator while the Red-Cross Coordinator and the Director Plateau State Emergency Management Agency were copied.
Written under the heading, ‘Removal of IDPs from the NMGS Property’, the letter reads: “Sequel to our verbal discussion on Wednesday 22 October, 2019 on the need to move the IDPs from the NMGS Secretariat building in Jos, this is formally reiterating the decision of the Council of the NMGS to you on this matter.
“It is hereby stated that the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society will embark on full rehabilitation of the building from 31 October, 2019 as the Council is not comfortable with the level of decay the building has suffered. This serves as official notice. Kindly treat with utmost urgency as the contractor has been mobilized for the job to commence at the said date.”
Our correspondent who obtained a copy of the letter, called the phone number on the letterhead paper on which the letter was written and the person who answered the call confirmed the eviction notice.
Although he did not give his name, he stressed that NMGS is trying to save its property from total decay and collapse, adding that the society has been kind enough to have offered its secretariat for free to camp the IDPs for over a year.
He added that the decision to evict the IDPs from the property was not ill-conceived but for the need to save the property from total decay because as a non-governmental organization, it does not have the funds to rebuild the property should it eventually collapse.
When contacted, the Plateau State Commissioner for Information, Dan Manjang, pleaded with NMGS to tamper justice with mercy, adding that the government is looking for other means of resettling the IDPs.
He said the society should have rather discussed the matter with the government rather than serving the IDPs with an eviction notice.
The Commissioner said the government will endeavour to dialogue with NMGS as well as look for other means of dealing with the situation.
It would be recalled NMGS property became a camp to about 4000 IDPs in June 2018 when many communities in Barkin Ladi and Riyom local government areas came under heavy attacks. The state government however relocated most of the victims to their various communities, thereby remaining about 300 who are still living in the camps.
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