Plateau govt disburses N1.5bn to 1,500 attack victims

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, assisted by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, on Monday supervised the disbursement of N1.5bn in humanitarian assistance to 1,579 victims of violent attacks in five local government areas of the state.

The intervention comprised N1bn donated by the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, through her Renewed Hope Initiative, and N500m provided by the Plateau State Government.

The beneficiaries were drawn from Mangu, Bokkos, Barkin-Ladi, Riyom and Bassa local government areas, which have experienced recurring attacks resulting in loss of life, destruction of property and displacement.

Speaking at the disbursement ceremony at the Rayfield Government House in Jos, Yilwatda said he was personally familiar with the trauma of displacement.

“I have been a victim of attacks; I know how it feels. I lost friends, I lost neighbours, I lost relations in a crisis, so I know how it feels, and when I look into your faces, I can see your pains,” he said.

Yilwatda expressed optimism that the state would overcome its security challenges, saying the intervention would help affected communities rebuild their lives.

“But I want you to know that in the midst of our tears, in the midst of the ashes of our homes, God will raise a momentum that will cause this force of darkness on our lives to end,” he said.

He added, “Light has never been defeated by darkness, and so also these people of darkness will never and can never defeat the people of Plateau.”

The APC national chairman commended the First Lady for the intervention, saying she had responded to the cries of affected communities.

“I want to thank the First Lady of Nigeria for coming through for us. She has said that she has heard our voices. She has heard your cry,” he said.

Yilwatda said no amount of financial assistance could fully compensate victims for their losses but urged the beneficiaries to use the money to rebuild their livelihoods.

“I know that no amount of money, no amount of cheques can bring back your life. No amount of money can bring back that integrity that you lost,” he said.

He added, “The little you have, you can invest it and build new lives. You can do groceries, farming. We can do businesses.”

Also speaking, Mutfwang described the intervention as an opportunity to acknowledge the suffering of families affected by the attacks.

“Families lost their loved ones; many houses were destroyed. People were forced to leave places they called home,” the governor said.

“To everyone affected, we see you, we acknowledge you, we stand with you and we will never forget you,” he added.

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The governor appreciated the First Lady for her support, saying the combined N1.5bn would provide immediate relief to affected families.

He, however, stressed that no financial compensation could replace lives lost or erase the trauma suffered by victims.

“No amount of money can bring back a father, or a mother, or a child, or a brother, or a sister. No financial support can erase the trauma of seeing one’s family destroyed, or the children of one’s community affected,” he said.

“What this assistance can do is to provide immediate relief. It can help the family begin again. It can help the people recover a life of need. It can help the household meet urgent needs,” he added.

Mutfwang assured the beneficiaries that his administration would ensure the intervention reached genuine victims and reiterated his commitment to creating conditions for internally displaced persons to return to their ancestral homes.

“We are committed to ensuring that this intervention gets to those affected,” he said.

“We will continue working to create the conditions for you to return to your ancestral homes,” he added.

He urged the beneficiaries to approach the process with “patience, honesty and understanding” to protect its integrity.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Kachollom Gang, said the intervention was meant to support families and communities affected by violent attacks in Bassa, Barkin-Ladi, Bokkos, Mangu and Riyom local government areas.

Gang said the state government had earlier constituted an inter-ministerial committee to identify victims transparently and fairly.

“Before the establishment of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Plateau State Government set up an inter-ministerial committee to handle the identification of victims for this displacement. This was to ensure transparency and fairness,” she said.

The commissioner expressed gratitude to the First Lady for the N1bn donation through the Renewed Hope Initiative and commended Mutfwang for augmenting it with N500m.

She said the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs would work with local governments, security agencies and community leaders to ensure a transparent distribution process.

Gang urged beneficiaries to use the funds to rebuild their homes, return to farming and restart their businesses.

She also disclosed that part of the funds would be used for community-driven projects identified by affected communities.

The commissioner called for peace, tolerance and unity in the state, urging residents to protect vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.