Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has urged President Bola Tinubu and other political office holders to spend their holidays in Nigeria, saying doing so would give them a better understanding of the difficulties confronting vulnerable citizens.
Obi made the call on Wednesday after a two-day visit to Sokoto State, where he met with different groups and visited the Ramin Kura Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in the Sokoto North Local Government Area.
The former Anambra State governor said the condition of residents at the camp highlighted the need for political leaders to experience first-hand the realities faced by Nigerians affected by insecurity and displacement.
According to Obi, more than 1,000 displaced persons are currently living at the Ramin Kura camp, where he said some families were staying in makeshift structures and thatched rooms.
He said some of the rooms were occupied by as many as 10 people, while the camp lacked sufficient toilet facilities, a primary healthcare centre and a basic school for children.
Obi said the situation was particularly troubling given that the residents had been forced to leave their communities because of insecurity.
He called on the government to improve the immediate living conditions of displaced Nigerians while intensifying efforts to address the security problems preventing them from returning home.
“I have always insisted that as long as even one Nigerian lives in an IDP camp, we are all internally displaced,” Obi said in a statement shared on his X account.
He also said temporary shelters should be made more suitable for the displaced while the authorities work towards creating the conditions required for their safe return to their ancestral communities.
Obi disclosed that the Sokoto visit marked his 12th visit to an IDP camp across Nigeria, adding that he would continue to provide support to displaced persons.
He further criticised what he described as inadequate attention to critical areas of development, arguing that the vulnerability of displaced Nigerians had been compounded by the failure to address their basic needs.
“This is why I continue to say that the President’s and political office holders’ holidays must be within Nigeria, so that they can see first-hand the difficulties faced by these fellow Nigerians,” he said.
Obi urged the Federal Government and relevant agencies to take immediate steps to address the needs of residents at the Ramin Kura camp.
He said tackling the humanitarian situation must go alongside efforts to resolve the security challenges that forced thousands of Nigerians to abandon their homes.