Peter Obi has appealed for urgent government intervention at the Ramin Kura Internally Displaced Persons facility in Sokoto State, following concerns over the conditions confronting families taking refuge there.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate made the appeal after touring the displacement centre in Sokoto North Local Government Area on Monday, September 29, during his two-day programme in the state.
Writing on X on Wednesday, Obi disclosed that the settlement accommodates over 1,000 people who were forced away from their communities and are now confronted with serious shortages.
He expressed concern over the type of accommodation available to the displaced families, describing the shelters as makeshift structures and rooms built with thatch. According to him, some of the spaces are occupied by as many as 10 people at once.
Beyond housing, Obi pointed to several other gaps affecting the camp, including limited sanitation facilities, no dedicated medical centre and the absence of a primary school for children living there.
“I have always insisted that as long as even one Nigerian lives in an IDP camp, we are all internally displaced,” Obi said.
He called for the temporary shelters to be upgraded so that families would have more decent living conditions while displaced communities receive the protection required to enable their safe return.
Obi maintained that providing lasting solutions would require government authorities to confront the insecurity responsible for the displacement and create an environment where affected Nigerians can go back to their ancestral communities.
The visit, he disclosed, was his 12th engagement at an IDP facility in the country. He also reaffirmed his intention to keep drawing attention to the difficulties experienced by Nigerians displaced by insecurity.
The former presidential candidate also appealed to political leaders to spend their holiday periods in different parts of Nigeria, saying such interaction would give them a closer understanding of the circumstances confronting citizens who are struggling.
He linked the conditions witnessed at the camp to what he described as insufficient government attention to essential development priorities.
Obi consequently called for immediate action by public authorities and relevant institutions to improve the facilities available at Ramin Kura and strengthen assistance for its occupants.
Restating his vision for the country, Obi concluded with a call for a “New Nigeria,” saying: “A New Nigeria is POssible and will be OK.”
