Reiterating her dedication to internally displaced persons Alia

Restoring long-term stability to the displaced people of Benue State is a top priority for Governor Hyacinth Alia and his government.

He went on to say that the plight of IDPs is a developmental one as well as a humanitarian one.

During Wednesday’s Inauguration of the State Task Force on Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons, Alia made this known at Government House Makurdi. The initiative is part of the UNDP’s Durable Solutions Initiative.

This, he added, was a watershed moment in the coordinated effort to help internally displaced people (IDPs) in Benue, a state where the problems have impacted thousands of people’s lives, thrown communities for a loop, and slowed down development.

He emphasized that the task force’s members were hand-picked for their knowledge, enthusiasm, and resolve to end the state’s humanitarian catastrophe in a lasting way.

He gave them an impossible task: to determine what internally displaced people need, come up with thorough plans to meet those requirements, and then communicate with the right people to make sure those plans are put into action.

Alia promised that, with human rights protection as a top priority, an all-encompassing strategy will be implemented to tackle climate change, natural catastrophes, and conflict, the three main causes of displacement.

The success of the task force, he said, would depend on everyone’s capacity to cooperate and tap into the society’s collective knowledge and resources, so he urged all parties involved—including government agencies, civil societies, the private sector, and the entire Benue people—to rally behind it.

The governor expressed his gratitude for the UNDP’s ongoing support and expressed his belief that their presence in the state will have a positive impact on the lives of the citizens. He also gave the people of Benue his word that his administration will fight for the rights and dignity of the most vulnerable members of society.

To begin, Ashraf Usman, head of the UNDP’s North West/Central International Organizations office, congratulated Alia for his quick action in responding to displaced people’s concerns.

According to him, the task force’s mission is to unite all branches of government in tackling displacement problems and challenges with an eye toward the future.