The parallel Zamfara House of Assembly has urged Gov. Dauda Lawal to establish three Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the state.
The call was made on Tuesday following a motion moved by Ibrahim Tudu-Tukur (APC, Bakura Constituency) at the parallel assembly’s plenary in Gusau.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 10 suspended members of the assembly had on Wednesday held a parallel sitting in Gusau.
NAN also reports that the development had led to the factionalisation of the assembly, with a 13-member faction headed by Bilyaminu Moriki (PDP-Zurmi South) as Speaker, and the other one comprising 10 members under the headship of Bashar Aliyu (PDP-Gummi I)
Tudu said that the motion was necessary considering the increasing number of IDPs in the state and various challenges they faced especially the dearth of any humanitarian support from the state government.
He stated that setting up the IDPs camp in each of the three Senatorial Districts of the state would give the displaced persons a safety from dangers and vulnerability.
“I am therefore using this medium to call on this assembly to urge the state government to as matter as urgency establish three IDPs camps across the state in order to save our people from humanitarian crisis.
“As representatives of people, we always receive complaints on daily basis on security challenges from our communities,” Tudu declared.
He lamented the failure by Lawal’s administration to fulfil one of its cardinal campaign promises to end banditry in the state.
According to him, the failure and neglect of the security sector by the Zamfara Government had allowed the escalation of insecurity in the state while abandoning displaced persons to roam the streets of towns, begging.
“The state government has not been holding regular security meetings with the heads of security agencies on how to tackle the situation nor is he ever ready to listen to other critical stakeholders on other ways to handle the menace,” Tudu said.
He addedd that the proposed IDPs camps would provide good healthcare for IDPs, while their children can go to schools, with the government having accurate data and locations of the IDPs.
Also, in their separate contributions, Nasiru Abdullahi (PDP, Maru North), Mukhtaru Nasiru (Kaura, PDP Kaura Namoda North) and Bashir Bello Sarkin-Zango (PDP, Bungudu West), urged other lawmakers to support the motion.
After a unanimous support to the motion by all the nine members of the house, the speaker, Bashir Aliyu-Gummi, then urged Lawal to as matter of urgency establish the camps.
The speaker also condemned the alleged abandonment of Zamfara students in Cyprus, forcing them into terrible labour jobs.
He also decried that they were facing embarrassing deportation threats in spite of their parents’ pleas on the government to settle their outstanding school fees.
The house called on human rights groups, civil society organisations and the Federal Government to intervene and save the stranded students. (NAN)
