The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has called on the government to urgently improve the living conditions of internally displaced persons at the Ramin Kura IDP Camp in Sokoto State.
Mr Obi made the call after visiting the camp in Sokoto North Local Government Area on Monday, as part of his two-day visit to the state. The camp currently accommodates more than 1,000 displaced persons, many of whom are living in difficult conditions.
During the visit, Mr Obi expressed concern over the condition of the facilities at the camp, particularly the makeshift shelters and thatched rooms where displaced families are accommodated.
He noted that some of the rooms accommodate as many as 10 people, while residents also face inadequate toilet facilities, lack of a primary healthcare centre and the absence of a basic school for children.
“I have always insisted that as long as even one Nigerian lives in an IDP camp, we are all internally displaced,” Mr Obi said.
He urged the government and relevant agencies to immediately address the pressing needs of the displaced persons while also tackling the security challenges that forced them from their homes.
Calls for return to ancestral homes
Mr Obi said temporary accommodation for displaced Nigerians should be made more comfortable while government intensifies efforts to create the security conditions necessary for their return home.
He stressed that the ultimate objective should not simply be to improve conditions inside IDP camps, but to enable displaced families to safely return to their ancestral communities.
The former Anambra State governor said his visit was his 12th visit to an IDP camp in Nigeria and pledged to continue supporting displaced Nigerians.
Obi urges leaders to understand Nigerians’ struggles
Mr Obi also called on political office holders to spend their holidays within Nigeria, saying this would give them a better understanding of the challenges facing vulnerable citizens.
He attributed the difficult conditions in the camps to what he described as a failure by government to prioritise critical areas of development.
The NDC candidate reiterated his call for improved facilities and greater support for residents of the Ramin Kura camp.
For the more than 1,000 people currently staying at the Ramin Kura camp, the issues raised extend beyond shelter.
The absence of adequate sanitation, healthcare and schooling affects the daily welfare of displaced families, particularly children. Mr Obi’s call therefore focused on both immediate improvements to camp facilities and the longer-term security measures needed to allow residents to return home.
Mr Obi concluded his visit by reaffirming his call for what he described as a “New Nigeria.”
“A New Nigeria is POssible and will be OK,” he said.
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