The Federal Government has flagged off the construction of low-cost Renewed Hope Shelter homes for the poor and internally displaced persons.

Performing the ceremony in Makurdi Local Government Area, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, while performing the ceremony said President Bola Tinubu was determined to relocate IDPs to their ancestral homes.

The project, National Renewed Hope Shelter Program for the Poor, Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees Project, is under the Office of the National Program Manager, Chidimma Makuachukwu and ably supervise by the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation

The program is one of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Poverty Alleviation approaches placed under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation

Dr. Edu said the President promised during his campaigns to return displaced persons in the country to their ancestral homes and the process has started with the flag off of the construction of resettlement homes.

She said the President also needed the IDPs to return to their homes to farm and feed the nation to fulfill his food security agenda.

"To all those who have come all the way from the IDPs camps to witness this event, this is the beginning of the journey for your return to your ancestoral homes.

"President Tinubu has eight points agenda, the first agenda is called Food Security, the people of Benue State are key to him achieving that food security.

"You can not reduce a food basket to hunger President Tinubu says no. You can not reduced the hope of a nation, the food basket of the nation, food security stronghold of Nigeria to one pain and anguished. It is unacceptable and today is the beginning of that solution".he said

She said the houses would be built in clusters through direct labour adding that the locals in every community would be used during the project.

"This project would be completed within six months so that they can be immediately returned back to their ancestoral homes.

We will buy the materials in Benue and the locals will build these houses themselves.

"The beautiful thing about this project is that we are going to work with the locals, they will provide whatever we need to ensure that this project goes through, however the funding and supervision will be by the Federal Government closely monitored by the State Government".she said

In his remarks, Gov Hyacinth Alia said the security situation in the State was beyond herders attacks as the the State was also facing banditry and kidnappings.

Gov Alia said there was serious ongoing underground security work which he said has resulted into the relative peace being enjoyed in the State.

He said the IDPs have overtime made it very clear that they were tired of staying in the camps and needed to move back to their ancestoral homes.

He said his administration would do everything possible to support the resettlement programme to succeed.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Mr. Aondowase Kunde said the crisis has affected a total of 8 local government areas who are scattered across 21 camps.

Mr. Kunde said measures were in place to prevent and reduce vulnerability to future disasters.

"These unfortunate state of affairs have led to Benue People in Guma, Logo, Ukum, Kwande, Gwer West, Agatu, Makurdi and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas to flee their homes and vocations, particularly farming to take refuge in 21 IDPs camps for temporary accommodations for a brief period of time in the hope that calm would return to their communities for them to return home and continue farming to produce food for Benue and the rest of Nigeria.

"The Food Basket status of Benue has, however been threatened as many farmlands are now abandoned due to the continued stay of our people in IDPs Camps", he said.

Also, the House of Assembly Member representing Makurdi State Constituency, Mr. Alfred Berger said the suspected herders have killed over 12,000 persons in the whole of Mbagwen, Makurdi LGA between 2010 to 2023.

Berger also disclosed that the last time he visited the community was in 2017 adding that herders have taken over the entire area.