Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state; has urged the National
Assembly and North East Development Commission (NEDC) to return and
empower Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) and refugees into their
communities.
According to him, the over one million IDPs, are always clamouring to
return to their ancestral homes.
The over a decade long insurgency has claimed 32,000 lives with
property worth $9.2 billion (N3.42 trillion) in Borno, Adamawa and
Yobe states.
Zulum made the call Thursday, while receiving 18-member House
Committee on the North East Development Commission (NEDC) on an
oversight function at Government House, Maiduguri.
He said the nexus among peace, security and development, implies that
if there is no peace and security, development could not take place,
including the return of IDPs.
“Right now we have large number of IDPs in camps and host communities
in the state,” he said, lamenting that it is no longer sustainable for
them to depend on handouts.
He noted that if it is not possible to return those (IDPs) to
communities, the Federal Government should provide accommodation to
the teeming population of displaced persons.
He said the return of IDPs will enable them engage in various
agricultural and livelihood activities.
According to him, already; there are increasing rates of prostitution,
drug abuse, gangsters and procreation in camps.
He therefore, declared that; “The only solution is to ensure safe
return of IDPs in a dignified manner to their communities,” warning
that; “if nothing is being done, believe me sincerely, we shall face
serious challenges; which are more than what we’re facing now.”
Zulum added that the Boko Haram insurgents are recruiting many
children into the sect, because of unemployment.
On how to return IDPs, he said: “There is the need for the House
Committee on Commission to interface with larger House Committee to
look into the possibility of empowering the teeming youths in the
state.”
He said this will also address the root causes of the insurgents;
which are not limited to endemic poverty, illiteracy, social
inequality, unemployment and environmental degradation.
While responding, the House Committee Chairperson for NEDC, Hon.
Khadijah Bukar Abba Ibrahim disclosed that because of increasing IDPs,
the distributed food is grossly inadequate.
“But when we went to the central store of NEMA, there was a lot of
food items that could be distributed on a daily basis,” she noted.
Continued; “The NEDC as we are concern has done a lot in a year, while
operating for only eight months.
“It’s so far so good for the commission to acquire a warehouse to
store food for IDPs.
“I’m happy to say that the commission is working for the IDPs and
other victims of decade long insurgency.
On IDPs’ living conditions, she said that it’s the mandate of house
committee to appropriate funds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies
(MDAs).
She assured that once the commission complains of underfunding, the
National Assembly could appropriate more funds carryout its functions
in Northeast.
