Former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate Peter Obi has raised concerns over the living conditions of internally displaced persons at the Ramin Kura IDP Camp in Sokoto State.
Obi made the remarks on Wednesday while reflecting on his two-day visit to Sokoto State, where he held consultations with various groups on insecurity, poverty, youth unemployment, drug abuse and the number of children out of school.
According to Obi, his final engagement was a visit to the Ramin Kura IDP Camp in Sokoto North Local Government Area, where he said more than 1,000 internally displaced persons were currently taking refuge.
The former governor said he was distressed by the conditions he encountered during his tour of the facility, particularly the accommodation provided for displaced families.
He said some residents were living in makeshift shelters and thatched rooms, with as many as 10 people reportedly sharing a single room.
Obi also identified inadequate toilet facilities, the absence of a primary healthcare centre and the lack of a basic school for children among the challenges confronting residents of the camp.
“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 on the government to improve living conditions in displacement camps while addressing the security challenges that forced residents to leave their ancestral communities.
The former governor said the ultimate objective should be to create conditions that would allow displaced Nigerians to safely return to their homes.
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“This is my 12th visit to IDP camps across Nigeria, and, just like in the others, I am committing to continuously supporting these Nigerians for as long as it takes,” he said.
Obi also renewed his call for political office holders to spend their holidays within Nigeria, arguing that doing so would expose them to the living conditions faced by vulnerable citizens.
“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.
He urged the Federal Government and relevant agencies to urgently address the needs of residents at the camp and tackle the underlying security challenges responsible for their displacement.
Obi’s visit to Ramin Kura comes amid continuing humanitarian concerns in parts of Sokoto and the wider North-West, where insecurity has displaced communities and created pressure on available shelter, healthcare, education and other basic services.
The Ramin Kura camp has previously been identified by humanitarian organisations as facing challenges involving shelter, water, sanitation, healthcare and access to education.
Obi concluded his message by reaffirming his belief in the possibility of building what he described as a “New Nigeria.”
“A New Nigeria is POssible and will be OK,” he said.