200 babies born one month in Benue IDP camp - Report – Newstrends
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200 babies born one month in Benue IDP camp – Report

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10 months ago

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Some of the Mafa IDPs protesting relocation to Bush alleging hunger bites harder in camp

200 babies born one month in Benue IDP camp – Report

There is no gain in saying that Benue State is currently the hub of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the country. With about 17 or more IDPs camps housing over 1.5 million IDPs, including those sheltering in the host communities, the state is no doubt facing a herculean task catering to the needs of these persons of concern.

The IDPs were forced out of their ancestral homes following repeated attacks and siege by armed herdsmen who are bent on defying the extant grazing law in the state.

From Guma to Agatu, Gwer West, Kwande, Makurdi, Logo, Apa, Okpokwu, Bururku, Otukpo and other local government areas, LGAs, it’s all tales of woes as the rural Benue farmers who are known for their prowess in food production have vacated their ancestral homes and taken refuge in IDPs camps.

Though the present administration has pledged to have them relocated back home, but while that move is still being awaited, the IDPs remain confined in these camps, living on the support they receive from the state government, kind-hearted individuals and organisations.

Given the dire condition in the camps the IDPs are faced with the challenges of inadequate food and drugs supply, including insufficient sleeping spaces and other challenges that make life unbearable for them.

But in the mist of these challenges one notable issue is the high rate of new child births being recorded in some of the camps.

Findings indicated that while the IDPs live in dire conditions amid insufficient sleeping space, they still make out space to make babies.

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Strange as it may sound, the reality is that new born babies are recorded in the camps in high numbers despite the living condition of the IDPs.

The development though, a reason for celebration for families in a normal living environment, is considered a source of concern in an IDPs camp as it puts a huge strain on the healthcare service there.

Besides, the new born are brought to a world of uncertainty in IDPs camps where access to proper health care services and feeding sometimes gets daunting leading to health challenges and even malnutrition as was the case recently at the Ortese IDPs camp in Guma LGA where cases of malnutrition were discovered among the children.

In fact, it was also discovered in that camp that over 200 new babies were given birth to in one month by displaced mothers taking refuge in that camp alone.

The alarming figure which left tongues wagging was indeed part of the findings of the Integrated Supportive Supervision, ISS, of the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the World Health Organisation, UNICEF/WHO Humanitarian Health Response, IDP, Outreach implemented by the Benue State Primary Healthcare Board, carried out at the Ortese and Ichwa IDPs camps in Guma and Makurdi local government areas, respectively.

It was discovered that the high figure was a function of the fact that in the midst of their distress, the IDPs find pleasure and happiness in sleeping with their spouses.

This was also alluded to by one of the IDPs, who identified himself as Anngu, and also claimed to be a father of two and resides in the camp with his family.

According to him: “Though we live in the camp we find space to sleep with our wives. When we do that we are happy with each other and it helps us reduce the pains we are going through.

“So we cannot be asked to stop because we are living in camp. The only thing is that we must ensure that our wives protect themselves from being pregnant though some men don’t like the idea of their wives not giving birth.

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“As for me I came to the camp about two years ago with my wife and two children and I sleep with my wife, but I ensure that she uses the family planning products that were given to her by the health care people. But the truth is that many are not using it.”

Speaking on the development, the Executive Secretary of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, Mrs. Grace Wende, who visited the camp, said the number of new births was quite high and the government would need to do something about it.

According to her: “I saw a very interesting sight. I’ve been in these camps often as part of our coordination beat and as part of the main role of primary health care.

“We are part of the major leading partners in supporting the IDPs camps in terms of providing healthcare personnel who will be providing services to these various camps.

“Today I saw many pregnant women and young children and it seems that there is very high level of fertility and child birth within these camps.

“Today alone we noticed that there are 200 new births per month. It is quite high, and government needs to do something about it.

“But from my discussion with them it seems that they are not utilising the family planning products that were given to them. So we need to intensify demand creation generation, especially among the men because they took the problem there. The women are willing but their husbands are resisting those family planning methods.

“The 200 births I am talking about is just in Ortese IDPs Camp. I am not talking about any other. So, 200 babies delivered in one camp in one month is huge. And we have not gotten the situation in other camps.

“Our findings indicated that the women there are helpless. Some women are remarrying within the camp, their husbands are not there; the husbands are also remarrying. They are also, sort of negotiating sex with the women within the camp. Those things are things that require that we intensify our advocacy and decision making within the camps.

“I have already talked with the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and the Camp Coordinators to see how we can go about it. We will target the advocacy on the men for now,” she added.

200 babies born one month in Benue IDP camp – Report

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Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG

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4 days ago

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March 23, 2025

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Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) yesterday attributed its neutral position on the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State to the need to steer clear of taking positions that may alienate members with varying political interests.

Taking positions on contentious partisan issues, the NGF said, would not augur well for it, especially in view of its past experience in fundamental division.

Notwithstanding, the declaration of the state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu yesterday generated more kudos and knocks from across the country.

Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Senator Basheer Lado, said the action of the president was meant to ensure protection of lives and restoration of law and order in the state, while the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said his principal  was required  to “avert needless harm and destruction .”

National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, said Tinubu, by his action, cleared what had manifested as a constitutional crisis in Rivers state.

But former President Goodluck Jonathan saw it from a different perspective.

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He described “abuse of office and power by the three arms of government in the country“ as a dent on Nigeria’s image.

The NGF, in a statement by its Director General Abdulateef Shittu, said it is essentially “an umbrella body for sub-national governments to promote unified policy positions and collaborate with relevant stakeholders in pursuit of sustainable socio-economic growth and the well-being of the people.”

It added: “As a technical and policy hub comprising governors elected on different platforms, the body elects to steer clear of taking positions that may alienate members with varying political interests.

“In whatever language it is written, taking positions on contentious partisan issues would mean a poor sense of history — just a few years after the forum survived a fundamental division following political differences among its members.

“Regardless, the Forum is reputed for its bold positions on governance and general policy matters of profound consequences, such as wages, taxes, education and universal healthcare, among others.”

It asked for “the understanding of the public and the media, confident that appropriate platforms and crisis management mechanisms would take care of any such issues.”

Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG

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Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi

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5 days ago

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March 22, 2025

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Chairman of the Senate Services Sunday Karimi

Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi

Chairman of the Senate Services Sunday Karimi has hailed President Bola Tinubu for the decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.

 He told reporters on Friday in Abuja that the President acted in the best interest of the State and Nigeria, having taken his decision in compliance with the Constitution.

“No President or government worth a name, will fold its arms and watch a political situation deteriorate to what we saw unfolding in Rivers State.

“We saw that bombing of pipelines had begun, and the security situation was getting worse with the tension everywhere”, Karimi stated.

Karimi, who represents Kogi-West on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), recalled the “fatherly role” Tinubu had played in the crisis since 2023 in a bid to get the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara to reach an understanding, to no avail.

He explained: “We were all here in 2023 when Mr President called that truce meeting at the Aso Rock Villa. There was the eight-point agenda for settlement reached between the factions.

“When Nigerians expected that progress should be made to achieve peace, things started deteriorating considerably to a point where the governor demolished the House of Assembly building and administered the state with only three legislators.”

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Karimi observed that with the recent judgment of the Supreme Court, which gave the upper hand to the 27 lawmakers loyal to the camp of the FCT Minister, matters merely got worse in the State as the lawmakers were set to impeach the Governor.

“What did you expect would be the implications? There would have been more destruction, killings and economic losses for the country.

“With the bombings that had already started, it was a matter of time before the whole state would be engulfed in flames. No responsible President would sit, arms folded, and allow that to happen “ he added.

The senator further argued that it took “painstaking efforts” by the administration to raise daily crude oil production to around 1,800 barrels, noting that Nigeria’s economy was already “witnessing a rebound under the renewed hope projects of the government.”

“Allowing the situation in Rivers to get worse before he would act, wouldn’t have helped the state or Nigeria as a country in any way.

“Mr. President intervened at the right time, and his actions are covered by law,” he said.

Karimi also spoke on the emergency declaration  in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and a couple of other states by former President Goodluck Jonathan without removing the Governors from office or suspending the state assemblies.

According to him, the case with those States was not generated by political crises but rather security concerns.

“So, I will advise those comparing the two scenarios to remember that one was purely about security threats resulting from the insurgency caused by Boko Haram, while that of Rivers is clearly political.

“It was the proper thing to do to suspend the political actors in the two factions to allow for tensions to diffuse. Nigerians should appreciate the President for the action he has taken so far,” he stated.

Sen. Karimi also noted that there was no cause for alarm as the National Assembly had indicated that the emergency rule could be reviewed as soon as there were signs that things could quickly normalise in Rivers State.

 

Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi

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Just in: Tinubu swears in Rivers Sole Administrator Ibas

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1 week ago

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March 19, 2025

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Just in: Tinubu swears in Rivers Sole Administrator Ibok-ete Ibas 

President Bola Tinubu has sworn in Vice Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (Retd.) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.

The administrator was sworn in on Wednesday after a short meeting with the President.

Tinubu announced the appointment of the retired naval chief at a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, when he declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor, Ngozi Odu, and the state House of Assembly members.

The President said his decision was based on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, saying he could not continue to watch the political situation in Rivers escalate without taking concrete action.

The suspension of Fubara and other elected representatives has been rejected and condemned by many eminent Nigerians, legal luminaries, groups such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Femi Falana, the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigerian Bar Association.

However, the emergency rule has been praised by the pro-Nyesom Wike Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule, accusing Fubara of contravening the Supreme Court ruling on the political situation in the state.

Ibas was the Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021.

He is from Cross River State where he had his early education.

The new sole administrator went to the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1979 from where he proceeded to have a successful career in the Navy, rising through the ranks to the very top.

He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Nigerian Institute of Management.

President Muhammadu Buhari who appointed him as Chief of Naval Staff conferred him with the National Honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2022.

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