NSCDC gets equipment from U.S. to fight terrorism in north east

United States of America has donated operational equipment and tools to Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to fight Boko Haram in the north east.

Also, the World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations and its partners have commenced distribution of 766 milling machines to 5,000 displaced families in the region, to ease the problem of grain processing.

The equipment, comprising power generating set, first aid boxes, computer systems and torchlights, were to increase the corps’ capacity to end insurgency in Borno State.

Inaugurating the equipment yesterday in Maiduguri, Governor Kashim Shettima said that the donation by U.S. embassy provided the required support to security agencies to fight insurgency and terrorism.

Shettima, who was represented by the Head of Service (HoS), Alhaji Mahdi Gazali, commended the U.S. government for partnering with security agencies to combat the 10-year insurgency.

Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkareem Lawan, said that the increased capacity of NSCDC in intelligence gathering would boost morale of personnel.

Commandant-general of NSCDC, Abdullahi Gana warned: “Lack of synergy among the military and other security agencies leads to increased insecurity of lives and property.”

In a related development, needy families are receiving milling machines from WFP in 12 Borno communities including Bama, Damboa, Dikwa, Gwoza, Jere, Mafa, Monguno and Konduga.

By processing grains such as sorghum and millet for their food needs and for others, the families will also generate some income to maintain the machines, each of which comes with a toolbox.

Kelechi Onyemaobi of the WFP stated yesterday in Abuja that the machines would also save time and energy for the users, especially for vulnerable women and girls in the conflict-affected communities.

The statement added that distribution of the machines was focused on the most vulnerable groups in the state, especially women and girls, to reduce the problem of manual-milling their grains.

The beneficiaries were being trained in the management of the machines.

Many families receiving food from WFP prefer to get milled sorghum or millet, instead of the whole grains that take time to grind through traditional methods, The Guardian gathered.

“We recognised that some families were selling part of the food assistance they received to pay for milling services, or spending so much time and energy to mill the grains using traditional methods. With these machines, they will now be able to save time and energy, conserve food and also generate some money to maintain the machines,” says WFP country director, Myrta Kaulard.

WFP cooperating partners, such as Christian AID, Danish Refugees Council, CARE, International Medical Corps and INTERSOS train the recipients on record keeping, financial management and maintenance of machines.

The milling machines initiative was made possible by the generous contributions to WFP’s activities in the north east by Canada, European Commission, Finland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DfID), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and private donors.