90% Of Victims Of Insurgency Faced Neglect From Gov’t—CRUDAN

A non- governmental organisation Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria says 90% of victims of insurgency faced neglect from government.

This is even as the NGO expressed concern over the spate of abductions in the North East, describing the security situation as scaring away social aid workers from the zone.

Maintaining that the government's plan of reconstruction and rehabilitation of the zone within the shortest possible time may remain a pipe dream if its partners, particularly the aid workers continue to be apprehensive about their safety.

Mr. Joseph Gyandi the Zonal facilitator who made this disclosure while interacting with the press during a presentation of its report, in Yola over the weekend, said its findings were distilled out of its extensive engagement with victims of insurgency in the North East zone.

He said the NGO found out that only 8% of those affected and displaced as a result of Book Haram activities benefitted from government interventions targeted at bringing succour to its victims.

While the other 92%, the NGO said have never felt the impact of government, particularly the IDP's living within host communities, are known to be the ones to have suffered neglect.

He noted that the 8% who were covered is representative of those who enjoyed protection and support, offered on

government operated camps and shelters, to victims of insurgency.

Lamenting that most government intervention particularly relief materials channeled through state officials were never delivered to its intended targets.

"Based on statistics 92% of the victims of insurgency are living in the host communities, only about 8% or thereabout are in camps. So you discover, that most of this people living in the host communities have never had direct interaction with the government. Most of them will tell you that, they have never received anything from the government.

The NGO charged the government on restoring confidence into the life of the victims and their safety in terms of security, adding that the government should stop politicizing things but should instead act base on the needs on the ground.

It also maintained that the government should have a machinery on ground so that each and every citizen should be valued.

It said even now in the budget, a substantial amount has been voted for intervention. But this intervention will go nowhere if you don't have the right information and the right strategy to put it through.