NEMA gives conditions to rehabilitate, rebuild Borno communities

THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged the Borno State governor to conduct the “assessment and evaluation” of 22 destroyed communities by Boko Haram insurgents before the agency could assist the state government with funds and other relief materials in rebuilding all affected council areas in the state.

The conditional demand was made by the Director of Search and Rescue of NEMA, Air Commodore Charles Otegbade, when he paid a courtesy visit to Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha, at the Government House, Maiduguri.

He said: “As the fight against insurgency in the North-East sub-region was progressing with desired results of liberating most of the captured towns and villages, there is the need for ‘assessing and evaluating’ all the destroyed communities before rendering any assistance or intervention from the agency.

“There is the need to carry out these assessments and evaluations by the affected state governments in the North-East sub-region so that all the affected communities could be rehabilitated before the displaced persons living in camps and their relations in Maiduguri and Biu could return to their respective towns and villages.

Responding, the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha, who stated that a 12-member panel had already been inaugurated this month by government, said members of the panel could not exercise its responsibility and terms of reference as the military was yet to give clearance to visit each of the 22 affected local councils of the state.

He said besides the intervention of NEMA in rehabilitating the destroyed communities, the state government requires further
intervention and assistance to feed displaced persons in the 21 IDP camps of Maiduguri and Biu.

He said the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is feeding over 500,000 IDPs in camps and the ones living with their relations in Maiduguri and Biu.

Meanwhile, following request from Borno State government, the NEMA has donated large quantity of relief supports for distribution to the Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in various camps and host families in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Presenting list of the approved relief items to the deputy governor who was at the headquarters of NEMA in Abuja at the weekend, the Director-General, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi, said the gesture was in addition to the regular humanitarian supplies being distributed by the agency to the camps in Maiduguri.

Receiving the relief donation, Mustapha, who appreciated the prompt response of NEMA to the state’s request, said the state government was desirous of the Federal Government through the agency to take over full responsibilities of feeding the displaced persons in the camps.

Also in a related development, the NEMA donated cash supports to the Federal Fire Service (FFS) to assist in the maintenance of its equipment.

Presenting a cheque for the support, Sidi, who was represented by Air Commodore Otegbade, said the gesture was in line with the mandate of the agency to support its stakeholders in preparation for emergencies.

The Controller-General of the FFS, Mr. Joseph Garba Anebi, who was represented by Controller, Quintus Azogu, appreciated NEMA for the kind gesture and gave assurance on the use of the fund as designed.