Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said the sum of N10 billion has been approved by the federal government to rebuild destroyed areas in Benue and other states in the country.
Osinbajo disclosed this at the Abagena Internally Displaced Peoples’ (IDPs) along Makurdi-Lafia road during his two-day visit to Benue State which commenced yesterday.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari, after his visit to the state on March 12, directed that a study be carried out in three strategic areas of security, destroyed homes and farms in order to identify what needed to be done for the displaced people to return to their homes.
“All of these must be funded, so the president approved some money at the Food Security Council to rebuild where there have been destructions in the country including Benue. N10 billion had been approved for that and we will begin work as soon as possible so you (IDPs) could rebuild your lives again,” he said.
Osinbajo said the president mandated him to appeal to traders, farmers and artisans to take advantage of the federal government’s micro-credit schemes such as the anchor borrowers programme.
Earlier, the Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Emmanuel Shior, said a total of 175, 070, people comprising of 80, 450 children were inhabiting eight camps across the state while efforts were on to determine the number of those taking shelter in places other than approved camps.
Governor Samuel Ortom acknowledged the additional troops deployed to the troubled areas of the state by the federal government in the past two weeks, saying that since their coming, the state had witnessed relative calm.
He said 69 babies have so far been born in camps.
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