Borno Needs Over 20 Million Dollars To Resettle IDPS

Borno State Government has said, over 20 million dollars is needed to resettle 22 people from 22 local government areas that were displaced by Boko haram sect in the last one year.

Governor Kashim Shettima disclosed this at the Government House in Maiduguri when members of Red Cross Society led by its President, Mr. Peter Maurer paid him a courtesy visit .

Last Monday, the Federal Government sent an assessment team to Borno to assess the level of destruction carried out by the Boko Haram insurgents. The team was led by the Director Search and Rescue of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Air commodore Charles Otegbade.

The Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha, said, since the displacement of many communities by Boko haram insurgents, the state government has been shouldering the responsibility of feeding the IDPs through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), even as he commended the effort of the Red Cross for its humanitarian assistance to the victims of the insurgency.

He noted that, although the military has liberated most of the communities under the control of Boko Haram in the state, government and the IDPs found it difficult to go back to their homes and pick up their lives due to security reports that most of the roads and streets leading to the affected communities and their farmlands are not safe because Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and landmines have been planted by the terrorists to cause more havoc.

"We, the government and good people of Borno state want to use this opportunity to thank you (Red Cross), NEMA and other donor agencies for supporting us in this trying moment as 22 out of the 27 local government areas have been destroyed and more than one million IDPs are living in Maiduguri, the state capital.

"Just yesterday, we received another batch of 4,500 IDPs from Gaidam who were sent away by the government of Niger Republic and more are still on their way to Maiduguri.

"Borno state need more than 20 million dollars to resettle it's people that were displaced as most houses, business centres and places of worship have all been destroyed by the insurgents.

"Although, the military has liberated 97% of the communities taken over by insurgents ,it will take time for the government to fumigate and diffuse the landmines before the people are relocated to their communities". Zannah said.

Earlier, the President of the Red Cross Society, Mr. Maurer told the Deputy Governor that they were in the state to personally see the IDPs and hear from them, particularly their conditions, so as to enable the organization to Considerably increase its humanitarian gestures as a result of the renewed attacks and killings by the sect.

The President while sympathizing with government and people of the state and the north- east subregion over the activities of insurgents, also urged other donor agencies to assist in cushioning the hardship faced by the victims of Boko Haram terrorists.

He assured the people of the state, particularly the victims of Boko Haram that Red Cross as a Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) will continue to support IDPs with food and non food items as well as ensure that they have a healthy living while in camps.