Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has met with International and Local Non Governmental Organisations to explain the State Government’s decision for closing IDPs Camps and restriction of place of food aide in resettled communities.
The meeting came at a time Governor Zulum has released billions of Naira, distributed to 115,000 safely resettled IDPs in 11 communities.
Amongst them, each household made up of a husband, wife, and few children were given N200,000, while widows were given N150,000 each with large quantum of food.
The intervention was meant for IDPs who have been given newly built houses and reconstructed homes, to use as livelihoods through operating small businesses, while a committee was set up to regularly monitor their progresses, and also deploy food aide intervention where the need arises.
Governor Zulum wanted the resettled IDPs to be supported in growing businesses as sustainable means of livelihoods, rather than lining them up every day and taking their pictures during distribution of food rations.
The governor said, “You are all aware of the (horrible) situation in the IDP camps, and the conditions of people in these IDP camps in the State, the menace of increasing drug abuse, prostitution, Gender Based Violence, increased risk of epidemics like cholera and meningitis, as well as increased risk of COVID 19. You are all aware that Muna camp for example is adjudged to be one of the worst camps in the world.
In terms of amenities, it is a camp where many of you would not want to keep your dog or a pig,” Zulum said.
He explained that in Borno, “people living in IDP camps are tired, and many decided that they wanted to go back to their communities. For example, people from Nganzai decided to move by themselves, people from Damasak moved from the camps in Niger by themselves, and we were told with facts that people were determined to go back and restart their lives with or without Government.
“In line with the Borno State Resettlement Plan, and the Return Strategy as agreed by the Government and our partners, we set out to voluntarily return and resettle our people where security permits.
In the voluntary resettlement and return efforts, we offered three options for our brothers and sisters:
1. People can leave the camp and go into Maiduguri township, and we give them money to rent house for a year in addition to food that will last them about 3 months.They can enrol for our SME Micro credit grant program for SMEs.
2. People can leave the camp, and safely go back to the newly built houses in their LGA headquarters or villages, where the military has given us security clearance and other civil security agencies are ready to deploy civil security
3. People can also choose to remain in an IDP camp in which case, we move them to another camp, merged to give way to the return of public services. In some of these camps such as the Mohammed Goni College of Legal and Islamic Studies (Mongolis), the camp resumed back to its original function as a school and the NYSC camp returned to its National Youth Service camp status.
Camp Merger is an Internationally recognised practice,” Zulum said.
Also in his address to humanitarian partners, Governor Zulum explained while humanitarian workers were encouraged to continue supporting IDPs in camps still in existence, the Government placed restrictions of food aide in 11 communities which were rebuilt with the involvement of some foreign humanitarian and development partners, including the UN, after the communities were identified as safe for civilian reoccupation..
The Governor listed the 11 communities to include Ajiri, Kalari and Ngom in Mafa LGA, Kawuri in Bama, Baga town, and Cross Kyawa in Kukawa, Shuwari in Jere, Ngoshe in Gwoza, Marte town in Marte, Wulgo Town in Ngala, Gubio Town in Gubio, and Magumeri Town in Nganzai LGA.
Confidence Okwuchi
