.Resettles 23,291 refugees from Niger
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has directed the Head of Service (HoS), Mallum Fannami, to scrap the biometric data capture of civil servants in the state.
He also returned 23,291 refugees from Niger Republic with the allocation of temporary shelters in the Damasak border community of the state.
According to the governor, despite the retirements and deaths of many workers, the state’s workforce still stands at about 16,000 personnel.
Zulum gave the directive, yesterday, in Damasak, while interacting with teachers and students of Zanna Umarti Primary and Government Secondary Schools.
He noted that the directive to the HoS was to terminate the current biometric data capture of workers, including teachers by the end of this month.
The governor added: “I also directed Fannami that other means of authenticating information from civil servants should be devised immediately. The issue of biometrics is becoming worrisome. Once someone has a Bank Verification Number (BVN) or National Identification Number (NIN), I think it is okay.
“Fannami, you are to take note that all biometric exercises should be concluded before the end of February,” warning that there should be no more biometric exercises for workers in the civil service.
On capturing the authentic workers, he said: “We have several methods of identifying duplications in the system. Once a worker has a valid account number, BVN is linked up and NIN, any anomaly can be identified.”
Zulum, therefore, directed the HoS to take his approval to the Ministry of Finance and the biometric unit, that all pending exercises should be concluded by the end of February 2024.
He described the biometric exercise subjected civil servants to undue stress, particularly the teachers, who have to leave their duty posts to meet deadlines of biometric capture.
The governor said the refugees comprising women and children fled to Diffa province for safety during the 14-year Boko Haram terrorism.
While addressing the refugees, yesterday, in Damasak, he disclosed: “Today’s event is to resettle all of you, after spending about five years in Diffa province over insecurity in Damasak.
“Each of the households from Niger will collect N50,000 food and non-food items, including mats and blankets.”
Besides the provision of temporary shelter, he added that each of the women refugees would receive N5,000 with a wrapper to overcome the harsh cold weather from Sahara desert.
Over 20,000 women, including housewives, widows and those from Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, benefited from the N5,000 sash and one wrapper distributed.
He continued: “In continuation of efforts to support the vulnerable communities and IDPs from Damasak, the headquarters of Mobbar Local Council, the government has distributed non-food items to over 20,000 vulnerable women.”
The governor allocated 10 houses for teachers of Zanna Umarti Primary and Government Secondary School, Damasak.
He urged the teachers to always identify the problems facing the schools, including their welfare, to boost the morale of teaching, adding that each of the over 100 teachers in the two schools will receive a cash support of N50,000.
