Yemi Adebowale
In a rare show of love for humanity, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, weekend wined and dined with hundreds of internally displaced persons camped at the Wassa suburb town of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.
Metuh accompanied by his wife, members of his family and friends, made their way to the remote village called Wassa where he celebrated his birthday, cutting the cake and sharing meal with the displaced persons, mostly women and children.
It was a dramatic and touchy moment to behold as the people broke out in joyful celebration on sighting a big truck fully loaded with various food items, including, bags of rice, cartons of tomatoes, salt, beverages, soft drinks and water approaching their temporary homes.
Most of the women who along with children received food items and drinks expressed gratitude to the Metuh family for remembering them, especially at a time when they are in great need.
Speaking with journalists who were there to witness the philanthropic gesture, Metuh said he felt the need to use the opportunity of his 50th birthday to come and commune with the persons driven from their home states in the North-east by insurgents.
The PDP spokesman lamented the humanitarian crisis which the continued activities of the insurgents have brought to the country, adding that government must have to do all within its powers to ensure that the terrorists are driven out the country.
An official of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Hassan Amina, was on hand to help receive and distribute the food items to the residents of the IDP camp.
Amina who serves as the Relief and Rehabilitation Officer said NEMA and other government disaster and emergency agencies had rendered assistance to the people in the camp.
She however described the quantum of food items donated by Metuh as the biggest individual intervention since the displaced indigenes of the crisis-ridden North-eastern part of the country came to settle in the place.
“As I told you, NEMA does not have a government designated IDP camp in Abuja. So the federal government is trying to relocate them
other government-designated camp. This is not an official IDP camp, it is just a temporary setting,” she said
Although Amina said NEMA has the capacity to monitor what is happening at the camp, she however confessed that it has not been easy managing and overseeing the camp.
According to her, the work of overseeing the temporary camp is enormous and challenging, especially in the day-to-day monitoring of the activities in the camp.
Below are photos of the event:
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