Dogara Urges Nigerians To Support IDPs As He Concedes One Of His Houses To Them

FILE PHOTO
FILE PHOTO

Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has appealed to spirited individuals to support the government in providing for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.

He made the call on Sunday when the speaker visited the IDPs camp in Benin City, Edo.

“When I came in here I saw a people who are determined not to be broken down in spite of the circumstances that surround them,” a statement by Dogara’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan, quoted him to have said.

“I must encourage you. I am of the region of the north where you came from and I am also affected.

“I had to concede one of my houses for IDPs from Yobe and Borno state to live in,” Dogara said, and urged the people to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and always put their trust in God.

According to him, “the situation we found ourselves is not just peculiar to us but has been happening in the course of human history.

“It is painful, very painful; you may remember how you left and the people you left behind and I know that 40 per cent of you here are orphans.

“You may be tempted to always cast your mind back over what happened to you. Once you are stuck in that, you will be filled with bitterness and anger and if that happens, you can’t make progress.

“I know it is difficult but we have to take our minds off it.”

He urged the people to put their trust in God, stressing that where people have trust in God, there is no situation that God cannot change.

“Some countries have passed through similar or even worse situations but with faith in God and determination they emerged stronger,” he added.

Dogara assured the IDPs that they would return to their communities very soon, pointing out that the present government was desperate to wipe out insurgency anywhere in the country.

“This is something we must do because we have no other country than Nigeria,” he stated.