Benue Flood: Osinbajo Arrives Makurdi

The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has arrived the camp of internally displaced persons in Makurdi for a first-hand assessment of damages caused by the August 27 flood...

He was accompanied by two ministers, Tunde Fashola and Audu Ogbeh. Mr. Ogbeh hails from the state.
They were received at Makurdi airstrip by Governor Samuel Ortom, who immediately took them on a tour of the disaster areas on the plains of River Benue in Makurdi.
They are expected to tour the IDP camp afterwards, where the vice president will inspect conditions of those taking shelter there.
The camp was opened on August 31, after heavy downpours chased about 110,000 people from their homes.
About 46,000 homes were reported affected by the ensued flood, which occurred August 27, according to locals.
The state government, in collaboration with the Red Cross, opened an international market in downtown Makurdi, which was hitherto not in use, for flood victims to take shelter in lock up stalls.
Emergency officials told PREMIUM TIMES at the camp Tuesday that a total of 4,776 people have been registered from 546 households.

Mr. Osinbajo is the most senior federal official to visit the state since the flood caused humanitarian crisis. His visit comes four days after the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril, visited the victims.

President Buhari has brushed off calls for him to pay a condolence visit to the victims, with his staff downplaying the visit as unnecessary since he had already directed emergency relief items to the victims.