The newly constructed ultra modern Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau has been razed by fire.
The camp was constructed by the Presidential Committee on Flood, Relief, and Rehabilitation, which came into being after the 2012 flood disaster that ravaged 24 states in the country.
Mr. Bintan Wuyep, Director, Relief, and Rehabilitation, Plateau Emergency Management Agency confirmed the inferno while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Jos on Thursday.
Wuyep, who is the Acting Executive Secretary of the agency, said the disaster occurred on Tuesday.
He said, however, that SEMA had been unable to assess the level of damage due to the paucity of funds.
“We don’t have funds even to fuel our vehicle to go to the camp to ascertain the cause of the inferno and assess the extent of the damage.
“We have gone everywhere even for a loan, but we have not succeeded.
“Hence, we cannot give the exact level of damage caused by the sad incident,” Wuyep said. The Acting executive secretary described the incident as “a big loss to Plateau and Nigeria as a whole.’’
According to him, the camp was meant to house Displaced Persons that might be affected by future disaster in any part of the state.
Wuyep added that SEMA had already informed the Presidential Committee of the sad development.
“The committee told us to assess the damage and formally write a report informing them of the cause and extent of the damage.
“But like I said earlier, we are constrained by lack of funds,” he said.
Wuyep appealed to the State Government to empower the agency with funds to enable it to function according to the law establishing it.
He commended the State House of Assembly for its resolve to investigate the cause of the inferno.
Wuyep stated that the action was not just timely but necessary.
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