The Borno State government has commenced the relocation of the first batch of 602 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Yerwa to Dalori resettlement camp, as part of plans for the re-opening of public schools closed as a result of Boko Haram insurgency in Maiduguri metropolis.
The planned relocation of displaced persons, according to the Commissioner of Education, Alhaji Musa Inuwa Kubo, had been postponed for four times since January 2016.
Addressing journalists at a news conference on Monday at the premise of GGSS, Maiduguri, Kubo disclosed that the relocation of the first batch of IDPs could have started last year, but logistic and security reasons however halted it.
His words: “We thanked God; it is a reality, we are conveying this morning 602 IDPs to Dalori camp with their families, as we have assured the people that this exercise takes care of the basic needs of the displaced persons.
“We promised them earlier that whenever that we are taking them from the schools, will certainly not be less than the conditions that they are leaving behind in this school turned into a resettlement camp.”
While assuring the IDPs of a decent camp, he said: “We assured the people that where we are taking these displaced persons have water and toilets are there; all the basic facilities of shelter and security are there put in place.”
He explained that the lack of these basic facilities and the security of the IDPs, delayed their relocation to camps to allow for schools, like the GGSS, to be re-opened for students who had been forced to remain with their parents and guardians at homes.
He however noted: “Now that we have gotten these basic humanitarian and camp facilities in place; we are starting the relocation; and immediately after the relocation; the schools are going to be re-opened, after this relocation exercise of the committee.
Speaking on the state of Dalori camp, Kubo maintained that; “As far as we are concerned, the basic necessities needed on ground, are shelter. And for the shelter to accommodate these IDPs, are being provided of blankets, mats, solar-powered lanterns. There are also kitchens and toilets, put in place for them.
“If there is any other thing that the United Nations if looking for, these are to our mind; are the basic facilities that we should provide; which we have already provided before relocating the displaced persons to the camp.
“And if there is any other thing that they want us to provide before we begin the relocation exercise, it is unfortunate; we may not start this exercise for public schools to be re-opened next month.”
The commissioner also warned that they may not find an ideal camp; but assured that the basic things that are necessary for the relocation exercise are on ground to “commence and complete” the schools to camps relocations of IDPs in Borno state.
He disclosed that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has built enough family size tents for the reunification of IDPs with their wives, who had been living separately in other camps in the metropolis for over two years.
He said in as much the Borno state government has appreciated the contributions of donor agencies in the resettlement and relocations of displaced persons, “it is not to say that without the donor agencies’ contributions we cannot do the relocation exercise of IDPs.”
Noting that the state government has the capacity to stand on its own, he said: “But if someone says; he will assist you; you cannot tell him that please don’t. If some of the donor agencies are backing out perhaps; because the pledges they have made is not forthcoming,” declaring that; “We cannot stop this relocation exercise.
“It is so important to us that the entire global community; are watching us that we have closed schools and we cannot afford to continue like this.
“As far as we are concerned, they (donor agencies) came in; we will not accept them to dictate to us.
“The fact of the matter was that we work in synergy. We collaborate for the success of the whole IDPs’ relocation exercise.”
Kubo further explained that “If we are to stay and accept their terms of relocating over 110, 000 IDPs in public schools to camps, we might not open the closed schools this year. It is going to cause more problems than the solutions we are looking for.”
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