NGO reports alleged diversion of relief materials

NGO reports alleged diversion of relief materials
By Christian Njoku
Materials
Calabar, June 13, 2018 (NAN) The Voice of Displaced Bakassi, an NGO, has reported alleged diversion of relief materials meant from a designated Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp at Obutong, Bakassi Local Government Area to a fake camp at Ikot-Eyo, Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River.
The group made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during a demonstration at the governor’s office in Calabar on Wednesday.
The President of the group, Mr Linus Asukwo, told NAN that he was surprised that some people claiming to be leaders had set up a fake IDP camp at Ikot-Eyo to appropriate the relief materials to themselves.
Asukwo noted that some of the founders of the alleged fake camp now speak on radio from time to time, claiming they are speaking for the IDPs in Bakassi.
He also said the demonstration was to ask the governor why their Conditional Cash Transfer Stipends was stopped since 2012 despite their series of letters and protests to the state government.
“We came to demonstrate because we have written many letters in the past on the stoppage of our stipends to no avail,” he said.
Asukwo therefore called on the Federal Government to secure the release of over 600 Nigerians from various Cameroonian prisons for no just cause.
He noted that 27 were released recently after they wrote to the United Nations through the Team Leader of UN in Bakassi, but many were still detained in different prisons in Cameroon.
“Many Nigerians from the former Bakassi Peninsula are suffering in Cameroonian prisons for no just cause, most of these arrests happened two years ago and our government is doing nothing about it,’’ he said.
Similarly, one of the demonstrators, Mrs Blessing Okuniyo, said their children were no longer allowed in schools since the state government stopped the monthly stipends given to them since 2012.
“There was an agreement in the past for us to be paid N5,000 stipends monthly by the state government, but since 2012 we have not received this stipend.
“We have been suffering since then in the camp at Obutong in Bakassi, so today we decided to come and see the governor of Cross River to ask him what is happening,” she said.
Okuniyo said the women are the most affected in the present situation as many of them fend for themselves and families in the midst of hostile Cameroonian security agents.
“I got injured on the leg while running away from Cameroonian Jandams who came shooting where we were picking periwinkles.
“Many of our people have been killed by the Cameroonians, presently we still have some dead bodies yet to be buried and some people who were arrested including women,” she said.
She however thanked the UN for their constant support and pleaded with the Nigerian government to address their plight.
NAN also reports that the demonstrators were advised by the security operatives at the entrance of the Governor’s Office to leave as the governor was not around.
Meanwhile, the state government and its emergency management agency were yet to react to the allegation. (NAN)
CBN/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola