There are still 2.1 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in 34 camps in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sidi, has said.
He said 2,400 pupils from IDP camps were transferred to Unity Schools to continue their education on scholarship by the Save School Initiative programme, supported by ex-British Prime Minister Mr. Gordon Brown.
Speaking yesterday in Kaduna after receiving the Best PerformingCivil Servant and Best Organisation for Good Governance awards from the Northern Youth Council, the NEMA boss said with efforts of the military, leading to the liberation of seven councils under Boko Haram, the country had passed the emergency stage in the Northeast.
He said reconstruction and rehabilitation of the zone should begin, as the war was almost over.
“In the last five years, we had insurgency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, which made the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the states. There was displacement of people. We still have 2.1 million Internally Displaced Persons with over 1 million in Borno State.
“We had to establish camps in the three states. There are about 26 camps in Borno, 11 in Adamawa and four in Yobe. We used to have IDP camps in Gombe and Bauchi states, but due to the success recorded under this administration, the seven councils controlled by the insurgents have been liberated. The 11 camps in Adamawa State have been collapsed to four, as IDPs return to their homes.
“Government has policies and programmes to support those displaced. The presidential committee for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the displaced people is led by Gen. T.Y. Danjuma and the Save School Initiative, a public-private partnership programme. These are geared towards supporting youths.
“Schools were shut in the last two years and some have not been reopened. Two thousand four hundred children were transferred under the Safe School Scheme from the Northeast to other parts of the country. There is a programme of building and rehabilitation of the affected schools in the three states. The government is doing a lot to support the IDPs, who are fed three times daily.”
The President of the Northern Youth Council, Malam Isah Abubakar, said NEMA and its DG were given awards to appreciate their efforts and motivate them and other organisations to do more.
Post a Comment
Post a Comment