Borno worst-hit by Boko Haram insurgency, says Shettima

• Promises return of IDPs to rebuild communities May 29, 2016
• Community protests scarcity of potable water

GOVERNOR Kashim Shettima of Borno State has said that the state is “the most-hit” by Boko Haram attacks and insurgency compared to neighbouring states of Adamawa and Yobe.

The governor, who disclosed this at the Government House in Maiduguri while briefing newsmen on total population of displaced persons from Borno that will occupy the 1,000 Housing units being built by the Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (MRRR) at Bama.

He also disclosed that in Borno State alone, there are 20 local councils destroyed by Boko Haram, compared to four and two councils in Adamawa and Yobe states.

His words: “In terms of scope and extent, some communities were completely razed down by this madness of Boko Haram insurgents for over five years. In the whole of Gwoza Local Council, not a single town or village was spared.
“While in Bama, there are over 400,000 people displaced and currently taking refuge in Maiduguri metropolis alone. In the North-East sub-region of the country, there are also three to four million refugees, while nearly 80 per cent of these displaced persons are from Borno State.”

Meanwhile, Governor Shettima has said that with the rebuilding of all destroyed Boko Haram communities by the state’s Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (MRRR), the over two million displaced persons could returned to their respective towns and villages on or before May 29, 2016.

Shettima, who disclosed this at the weekend at Benisheik while inspecting the rebuilding of 15 schools, police and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) stations, hospitals and council secretariat projects that have reached roofing stages of completion.
He said the target of the state government was January next year by which some of the IDPs would go back to their homes.

His words: “We will make very strenuous efforts towards reconstruction of the destroyed towns and villages so that by our fifth year anniversary of May 29, 2016 in office, we hope and believe with your support in the media that all the displaced persons should return to their communities to continue with their normal life of peaceful co-existence among various ethnic and religious groups in Borno.

On the rebuilding of destroyed communities, Shettima said: “We are fixing Kaga Local Council completely in a brand new way; and we are going to replicate same in Gwoza, a main border community with Cameroun where my big brother hails from. And extend the same to Bama town, in which over 90 per cent of the houses, shops and public buildings were destroyed in the madness of insurgents.
“We are building 1,000 houses in Bama. We also have to show to the entire world that our little and modest efforts and aspirations towards rebuilding our destroyed communities and then we expect the Federal Government to support us; while the international community chip in their widows’ mites.”

He also called on the Victims Support Fund (VSF) to expend part of its funds in rebuilding the 20 local councils of the state.
The VSF money, according to him, could be better utilised and invested in the people and their infrastructural facilities destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in last five or six years.

On the challenges of MRRR to complete the rebuilding and rehabilitation, the governor said: “We have to go beyond the talk. I don’t want to pre-empt the outcome of whatever the VSF has in stock for us here in Borno State. I believe that the worst of Boko Haram insurgency is already over.
“In the next coming weeks and months of this year, we shall have an enduring peace not only in this state, but the entire North-East sub-region of the country, Nigeria that comprises six states.

In another development, hundreds of Jakana villagers in Konduga Local Council of Borno State at the weekend protested over scarcity of portable water during Governor Shettima’s visit to inspect 15 schools, hospital and police stations’ projects being rebuilt by MRRR in the council.

Jakana is a farming and herding community, and 40 kilometres west of Maiduguri, the state capital.
The village youths said that they were compelled to interrupt the governor’s convoy to directly complain on the scarcity of portable water they had been facing, as the boreholes had been vandalised by Boko Haram insurgents.

They said: “Our people had to trek for many kilometres to fetch pond or stream water since our boreholes were destroyed by Boko Haram gunmen. A 25-litre can of water sells for N100, as against N5 in Maiduguri, which is only 40 kilometres from this village along Damaturu-Maiduguri Road.

Modu Konto, who actively participated and led the protesters at the weekend in Jakana, said: “The lingering Boko Haram insurgency has forced many of my people to be buying water at N100 for 20 litres. This has also caused water-borne diseases as people drink contaminated water from ponds and streams meant for livestock and irrigation.

Shettima promised the community that the state government through the Ministry of Water Resources would soon embark on the drillings of more boreholes in the village while the vandalised ones would be fixed to provide water for both domestic and industrial uses.

He said: “As we are going back to Maiduguri from here, you will see a drilling rig in Jakana that will commence the drilling of more boreholes for the people that protested in the afternoon while I was on my way to inspect 15 schools, hospital, police and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) projects at Jakana and Benisheikh.”