By Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
The Borno state government has commenced the rebuilding of three communities destroyed by Boko Haram in 2014; three years after they were liberated by military. The 2,000 returning displaced persons, who had been taking refuge in Maiduguri and Monguno resettlement camps, are to rebuild their destroyed houses at Gudumbali, Mallam Fatori and New Marte. Governor Kashim Shettima disclosed this at the weekend in Maiduguri, while briefing the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi on rebuilding destroyed houses at Government House. He said the liberated communities are located in Guzamala, Abadam and Marte councils that were attacked between 2013 and early 2015 with the loss of many lives and property. “In Gudumbali, council headquarters of Guzamala in northern Borno, most of the houses and public buildings were torched by Boko Haram insurgents,” he said. He further disclosed that with the recapture of Gudumbali in August, 2015 and recent clearances of houses and farmlands of Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) by military, the rebuilding of destroyed houses has commenced. He said that already, over 2,000 IDPs have been relocated to their ancestral homes, to rebuild the houses according to their “taste and designs.” According to him, the building designs, are to cope with desert terrains and daily temperatures of 40-48 degrees Celsius. Speaking on houses to be rebuilt, he said: “Our target was to rebuild 10,000 houses for the returning IDPs, who had been in Maiduguri and Monguno camps for over three years without a decent shelter. “To complete these houses, a total of 5,000 square feet of roofing sheets have been delivered last week by the Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (MRRR).” He added that farming and fishing activities will also commence with the support from Federal Government for seeds and other agricultural inputs. He directed the Commissioner for Local Governments and Emirate Affairs, Usman Zannah and the Permanent Secretary, Asarya Tarafaya to relocate to Gubio, Damboa, Chibok and Askira/Uba councils for “supervision and monitoring.”
