Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on the government to urgently improve living conditions for internally displaced persons at the Ramin Kura IDP Camp in Sokoto State.
Obi made the appeal after visiting the camp in Sokoto North Local Government Area on Monday, 29 September, during a two-day visit to the state.
In a post on his X handle on Wednesday, he noted that the camp currently shelters more than 1,000 displaced persons, many of whom face difficult conditions.
During the visit, Obi expressed particular concern over the makeshift shelters and thatched rooms housing the families, with some rooms accommodating as many as 10 people.
He also highlighted inadequate toilet facilities, the absence of a primary healthcare centre, and the lack of a basic school for children.
He urged the government and relevant agencies to address the immediate needs of the residents while tackling the security challenges that forced them from their homes.
“I have always insisted that as long as even one Nigerian lives in an IDP camp, we are all internally displaced,” Obi said.
He stressed that temporary accommodation should be made more comfortable while efforts continue to create the security conditions needed for displaced Nigerians to return to their ancestral homes.
Obi described the visit as his 12th to an IDP camp in Nigeria and pledged to keep supporting displaced persons.
He also called on political office holders to spend their holidays within the country so they can better understand the challenges facing vulnerable citizens.
Attributing the poor conditions in the camps to what he called the government’s failure to prioritise critical areas of development, Obi urged immediate steps to provide better facilities and support for those at Ramin Kura.
He concluded by reiterating his call for a “New Nigeria,” saying: “A New Nigeria is POssible and will be OK.”