American Missionary Alleges Benue Government Is Undermining His Efforts to Rebuild Yelwata Village

According to the information gathered in an interview he explained that “I had to go to the humanitarian commissioner and I let them know of my desire here, what I’m supposed to do. And I was directed that I’m not allowed to build the market. They said that the government has plans to build the market. And they said, we’ll send you the plan tomorrow, maybe two days. And I waited over two weeks, no response. And I’m pressuring, I’m asking, so what is happening? When are we going to build the market? You said you would send me the plan, I have no plan. And they sent me a video of a 300 million plan for a market in Yelwata. While they told me I can’t build, I would spend maybe 50 or 60 million to rebuild everything.

And they would consider a 300 million market here in Yelwata. I said, what market in any village or town is there that is worth 300 million in Nigeria? Not one. Zero. Even in cities. Which city has 300 million market? Very few. And I said, I would not partake in this. Because my personal opinion is that people are using funds that are meant for the persecuted, the afflicted. Christian or Muslim, it doesn’t even matter.

People are suffering in Nigeria. And funds are supposed to be reaching those people to help them, to rebuild, to give food, to give aid, to do all these things. And the money that’s meant for them is not making it to them. And so there needs to be purity within funds and within the government to do things in faith to do things openly, to have accountability for what is being spent…”