200 Returnee IDPs Benefit From YSACSD Two Bedroom Bungalow Flats In Yobe

200 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State have benefitted from two-bedroom bungalow flats built under partnership with the Yobe State Agency for Community and Social Development (YSACSD) in Yobe.

The beneficiaries are from Buni Yadi town, the headquarters of Gujba Local Government Area that was liberated from the Boko Haram insurgents which has greatly improved their resettlement and recovery in their respective communities.

One of beneficiaries, Malam Yusuf Ahmed, who fled Buni Yadi to Damaturu at the peak of the insurgency said that his house was vandalized while he was away and had no where to keep his family when he returned, but was supported by the agency to build a two-bedroom bungalow.

“YSACSD came up with this support that individuals should provide five per cent contribution while it provides the balance of 95 per cent to build a two-bedroom house to the benefiting IDPs.

"This was done in a group of 10 people who provided five percent either in cash or building materials or labour, and the agency provides the 95 per cent balance to build the houses.

"The agency also allows the group to execute the projects either through direct labour or pick contractors of their choice,” Yusuf said.

Another beneficiary, Bukar Ali, said the partnership and five per cent contribution paid by beneficiaries made them to be more committed and owned up the projects.

“We executed our houses through direct labour and ensured that adequate materials were used to ensure quality was not compromised.

"The agency also supervised the construction to ensure we lived up to the terms of agreement before they released the resources which were paid in installments as the work progressed, ” Ali said.

Another beneficiary, Abdu Musa said: “In view of our situation and the opportunity given to us by the agency, we wasted no time in constructing the houses.

"Unlike government contracts, these were speedily executed for us to have shelter over our heads, and we are now proud owners of houses through this partnership with the agency", Musa added.

The YSACSD Projects Officer, Mr Maisaje Yusufari said the agency in collaboration with some communities have also jointly reconstructed health centres, schools and boreholes destroyed by insurgency in their communities.

He added that the groups further contributed five per cent for every project while the communities contributed 10 per cent and YSACSD supported the groups with 95 per cent and supported the communiities with 90 per cent for the projects.

“Under this arrangement, the agency has expended more than N1.07 billion on 84 community projects and group projects for IDPs, persons with disability and vulnerable groups in the state from 2016 to date,” Yusufari said.

While 209 blind men and women were supported with funds to procure walking sticks and talking watches.

Mai Yaskuma, leader of the visually impaired persons in Buni Yadi, said the collapsible sticks facilitated their easy movements while the talking watches assisted them to have idea of time daily.