Reps explain decision to create committee on displaced persons
THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has solicited the support of humanitarian agencies and international development partners on disaster relief operations to relocate over 250,000 Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) from their present Maiduguri metropolis camps to newly-established ones in Borno State.

Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Sani Sidi, who disclosed this yesterday while addressing representatives of international humanitarian agencies and other stakeholders currently engaged in disaster management operations in the North-East at Barwee Luxury Suites, Maiduguri, said the relocation of IDPs from the school premises, which they presently occupy to other newly-created camps in the state, requires enormous planning, logistics and commitment from all to ensure smooth exercise.

He said the Borno State government has resolved to relocate the IDPs from all the public schools converted to IDP camps so that it can open schools shut down at the wake of Boko Haram attacks about two years ago.

“Relocation of IDPs is a serious issue and all steps, including health, accommodation and other basic facilities must be done diligently so as not to create another disaster,” said Sidi who was represented by the North-East Zonal Co-ordinator, Alhaji Mohammad Kanar.

In another development, the House of Representatives yesterday offered an insight as to why it resolved to create a standing committee on the IDPs.

Spokesperson of the Lower Legislative Chamber, Malam Sani, who spoke with reporters, said the decision was borne out of the desire to ensure the activities of the affected persons are adequately organised, streamlined and taken care of.

The House had on Wednesday this week adopted a motion by Emmanuel Yisa Orker-Jev (APC, Benue), which sought the creation of the committee on the IDPs.

Borno State Commissioner for Education, Inuwa Kubo, who also attended the humanitarian co-ordination stakeholders’ meeting, said the reopening of the schools had been shifted to late October following some challenges experienced by the committee on school reopening.

He said while the committee was making arrangement to move the IDPs in collaboration with NEMA and other support agencies, hundreds of displaced persons from some communities raided by Boko Haram besieged Maiduguri again seeking refuge.

Besides, Zorro, a former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), further explained that the decision was taken in order to provide a legal framework for expending funds and regulating activities of international and local donor-agencies in North-East.

He stated that the committee would ensure that such donors are duly registered with the National Planning Commission (NPC) for proper co-ordination of their activities.

The committee, which is to have a member each from the 36 states of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will also oversee activities of refugees and any initiative on the region, which is ravaged by activities of insurgents.