Nigeria: FCT Displaced Persons Want Seedlings Not Cooked Rice

IDP

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have said they prefer to be taught how to fish than being fed with fish by non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders who donate relief materials to their camps.

The secretary of the IDPs at Wassa, Geoffrey Bitrus, said food donations last for a while unlike empowerment programmes, provision of seedlings and other farming implements.

Bitrus who spoke on behalf of the displaced persons at the camp said the 10 measures of beans seedlings he was given few months ago by a Catholic group has produced more than three bags of beans for his family.

He commended the decision of the group to donate different seedlings, pesticides and knapsacks to the displaced persons instead of the usual cooked rice and beef that some groups donate.

Though he said such prepared food also assist them but not as much as being empowered or having something to plant which they feed on.

"I prefer they bring something that we can plant or things to help us in farming because we are all farmers," he said.

He said with the 10 measures he got, he hoped to get about three bags which could be sold at the market for about N16,000 each.

He said his choice of beans was wise as the chaff can also be sold as well as the seeds. He lamented lack of pesticide for poor harvest, adding that if he had got enough pesticides, he, too would have been smiling to the bank. 

He said most of the farmers could not afford to buy pesticides and other mechanized farming implements thereby recording poor harvest.