The Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) on Thursday donated beverages and other items worth about N20 million to victims of the North East crisis, living at the Internally Displaced Persons’ camp in Edo State.

President of the association, Chief Patrick Anegbe, while presenting the items at the camp, which is situated at Uhogua, Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state, said the gesture was part of the group’s Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.

Anegbe said: “As an association, we know we cannot donate some of the items we produce to the Internally Displaced Persons. We appealed to member companies to make donations and we got positive responses. The result is what we are presenting to the occupants of the camp.”

He expressed his empathy with the inmates and called on the federal government to expedite action on resettling them.

“These people, for no fault of theirs, found themselves in this camp. They need to be catered for and empowered to live independent lives outside this place,” he said.

The Edo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Magdalene Ohenhen, received the items on behalf of the state government and expressed her gratitude to the association for the gesture.

Ohenhen said that the donation would bring succour to the inmates, and assured that the state government would ensure that they receive all the items.

Mrs Evelyn Omigie, the camp supervisor, who received the items on behalf of the inmates, said the materials would go a long way in meeting the needs of the over 2, 500 inmates.

•Photo shows, L-R; Representative of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Mr. Walson Brandon; Supervisor of the Internally Displaced Persons' camp in Edo State, Mrs Evelyn Omigie; Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Mrs. Magdalene Ohenhen; Director, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mrs Elizabeth Enakhimion; and President of the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), Chief Patrick Anegbe, during the handover of relief materials worth over N20m million from AFBTE to the IDPs at Uhogua, Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state, on Thursday