The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has reiterated the determination of the government to address various challenges facing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.
The Speaker urged the displaced persons not to despair and assured them that they have not been forgotten and would not be left behind.
Gbajabiamila spoke during his outreach programme at the Durumi IDP Camp, Abuja on Thursday where he donated food and sanitary items to the Durumi and Kuchigoro IDP camps.
He said efforts would be made to ensure that every Nigerian that has suffered the misfortune of being forced to flee their homes would be encouraged to return to productive livelihood.
Represented by his Special Assistant on IDPs, Hamzat Ibrahim Baba, the Speaker donated over three hundred bags of rice, cartons of edible vegetable oil, cartons of noodles, packs of sanitizers, bags of facemasks, among other items.
He said: “We are here to extend the arms of fellowship to our brothers and sisters who, in flight from conflict and deprivation, have come to find a measure of peace in the protection of this camp.
“We have come bearing gifts, which we hope will in some small way help to improve the circumstances of life for all those who are resident in this camp.
But more than that, we have come bearing assurances that you have not been forgotten and you will not be left behind.
In his response, the coordinator/spokesman of Abuja-based IDPs, Idris Ibrahim Halidu, while commending the gesture of the Speaker noted that Gbajabiamila is the first lawmaker to remember IDPs in Abuja since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Women Leader of IDPs expressed gratitude noting that Gbajabiamila is the first legislator to remember the IDPS and encouraged other lawmakers to do likewise.