Nigerian IDPs eat three times a day, but without dignity – whistleblowers explode
By Rotimi Akinola
Nigerian Twitter is upset right now over the plight of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country’s northeast.
Nigerians say their government has not shown enough will to alleviate the suffering of the hapless citizens who had to flee the dignity of their homes because Boko Haram, and assume the sorry state of “refugees” in their own country.
A public outcry in the mode of #NigeriaIDPscandal is underway as the nation lash out at apparent government failure at dealing with their condition.
The hashtag, first mentioned by @ogundamisi, is trending on Twitter. The tweep posted images reportedly leaked by two IDP volunteer workers who were fed up with the plight of the displaced persons.
The outrage trails the government’s publicity stunt with the recent visit of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to Dalori IDP camp in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the body responsible for IDPs in the country, said the affected persons get three meals each day.
Nigerians are worried about the kind of meals NEMA referred to and under what conditions they are handed out. They want the government to restore the dignity of the IDPs.
Here are some of the best tweets:
@shapersKano: You cannot go into the IDP camps imagining yourself in their shoes and not drop a tear.
@TunjiOFR: Nigerians should start asking questions. What happened to the victims support funds?
@AayilaraQ: It’s very pathetic to know that some people will take advantage of the activities of Boko Haram to scam refugees.
@naijarates: Thank God they are alive and see food to eat. It would have been worse.
@twitmexy: Let’s confront the issues that made them IDPs in the first place.
@oluwahkaryorday: This is very bad…tears rolling from my eyes.
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