Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Thursday inaugurated a housing project to resettle IDPs in Plateau.
The project was initiated by a group, the Eden Initiative for Humanitarian Support at the Ribakwa community, Irigwe Chiefdom, Bassa LGAs.
Speaking at the event, Mr Mutfwang said the project marked the beginning of a new dawn in alleviating the suffering of displaced persons in the state.
The governor emphasised that the Ribakwa project is the first phase of a broader resettlement journey, assuring the IDPs in Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos and Mangu LGAs that total relief is underway.
“This is a journey of hope, a story of resilience, and a testimony of a people determined to withstand adversity. We can leave here and tell our people that hope is coming. Despair not, because our God is a promise-keeper.
“No matter how long a people have suffered, when God arises, a captivity of many years can be turned around in a single day,” Mr Mutfwang said.
The governor, who described the project as humanitarian, pledged his personal support and that of the state government to the initiative.
“This is not a contract for personal gain; it is a community-based effort calling on all of us to be our brother’s keeper. There is nothing anyone can give you for helping your brother in distress except God Himself,” he said.
He urged all citizens to contribute labour, materials or resources towards the success of the project.
He particularly called on the Irigwe people to take ownership of the project and commended individuals and communities who freely donated their lands for the initiative.
Earlier, Rokwu Akka, the paramount ruler of the Iregwe chiefdom, thanked the governor for attending the event in person, adding that his presence was a source of healing and renewed hope for the suffering population.
The chairman of Bassa LGA, Joshua Riti, described the project as a move towards peace, stability and sustainable development in the area.
In his remarks, Pandang Yamsat, the group’s chairman, disclosed that the pilot scheme would resettle 100 families. He said that the initiative would enable it to build houses, a school, a clinic and a trauma centre.
Mr Yamsat, who said the project would be replicated in all affected LGAs, added that potable water, electricity, and access roads would be provided equally.
He thanked the families who donated their lands for the project and called on spirited individuals to support the initiative.
(NAN)