A high-powered delegation from the United Nations paid a courtesy visit to the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum led by the new UN Representative and the acting Resident Humanitarian Co-Ordinator, Mr Mattias Schmale with other principal officers from the UN at the Maiduguri Chamber council of the government house.
Mr Schmale who spoke on behave of the delegation, after self-introduction by the members of his team thanked the Borno State Governor for a warm reception accorded to his team and sought maximum co-operation from the state government to aid their humanitarian activities in the state.
“We also seek details and guidelines of what the state wants UN to intervene in, I’m newly assigned as the new resident co-ordinator I want the state government to give me same coordination given to my predecessor Mr Edward Kallon.”
Governor Zulum while responding, acknowledged the UN contribution and said, “On behave of myself and the people of Borno State thank you for your tremendous support towards the humanitarian aid and recovery effort of the devastating impact of the insurgency we remain eternally grateful for your support we will look forward to your usual support for a purposeful life”.
“However I will like to note that, for the past 6 years the IDPs in some camps have been requesting to go back to their ancestral homes.
“During the campaign, we visited all camps across the state and most camps were requesting to go back where was security allowed.”
The Governor further said, ” In answering the call of our people the state government made with the representative of various NGOs and came up with a plan, a wider consultation was made before the implementation plan.
“The Borno state government has never forced the return of any IDP it is in accordance with the Kampala convention, we seek mutual co-operation with the UN, not UN to take charge UN should complement the state government effort with the International best practice”.
There’s a degree of peace recorded now in Borno, so I see no reason we can’t returned some of our IDPs to their locality who are ready to be returned with clarity from various security organisations in the state”.
“I will also like to call your attention on some of the activities of the INGOs that they are not doing well, only enriching themselves though some have performed wonderfully well we want to shift from short time plan to long time plan.”
PIAK
