As the Boko Haram insurgency continues unabated, the Chairman, Borno State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Alhaji Grema Terab has spoken on the challenges of his agency and how Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in Borno state have been managed, particularly with the renewed offensive by the Boko Haram and the rising influx of IDPs into different camps in the state. He spoke with DAILY POST Correspondent in Maiduguri.
MAINA MAINA sends in excerpts:
Q: Sir, we learnt recently that many IDPs are finding their way back into the camps. How are you managing these people?
A: It is true. We are doing our best, but the federal allocation is not forthcoming or no more regular. This has resulted to responsibilities on the part of the state government. We are not just taking care of the IDPs alone, it is very challenging and that is why we cherish the collaboration with international agencies. If they have not been collaborating with us, the humanitarian catastrophe in Borno would have better been imagined than experienced. The National Emergency Management Agency is now becoming more interested in IDPs related issues in Borno state and they are trying to listen to us; for the first time, they are asking us on what to do, what we can do, how much we spend, which food do the IDPs consume and what are the problems in the camps? It is a step forward, for the past four years, this is the first time NEMA has shown keen interest to really know our problems and they want to share the problems with us and we have received a high powered delegation from NEMA. We have sat down and we gave them the template of how much we spent and consume in the camps in terms of feeding and other upkeeps, and they said they are going to partake in it. We hope with the change of government, things are going to be better in the near future.
Q: Since your emergence as Chairman, SEMA, what have been the challenges of the agency?
A: Well, our major challenge is the high influx of IDPs into Maiduguri. When I came on board as the chairman/ chief executive officer of Borno State Emergency Management Agency, we were managing few camps, there were about 13 or 14 local governments displaced by the insurgents and we had camps for each of the local governments, but now it runs to about 22 different camps. Surprisingly, when we thought things were getting better, we are now getting more people displaced and many more people are trooping into our camps. We have now found out what is responsible for the rise to be as a result of the displaced persons who were taking refuge in the host communities and now coming into the IDPs camps. Some of them have exhausted their rent and some of the people hosting them in some of these communities are tired of taking care of their relatives and the IDPs have nowhere to turn but the camps. Just last week, we received about 400 IDPs into the Mafa camp, about 300 into Kukawa camp, about 400 into Monguno camp and also a large number of people into Bama camp.
Those that were formerly living with relatives in the host communities are now trooping into the camps for they can no longer be accommodated as their host could not afford the cost of keeping them. Most of those that were accommodating them thought it was a temporary measure but they later come to find out that days are turning into months and months perhaps turning into a year and the burdens just have to be taken off them. Those from Bama have stayed for over 10 months and those from Gwoza for about a year. So it’s quite challenging to take care of these IDPs, but the government is doing well in providing three square meals, but life is not all about feeding. Sanitation is also a priority in the camps, health care facilities and others basic needs of IDPs, for instance the soap and detergent, and sanitary are all very important. It is quite challenging and it is a heavy burden on the state government. This has made us to face a lot of challenges and no matter what the government has invested, it may not be enough and the IDPs have to face one challenge or the other.
Q: Can you quantify in monetary terms, what you spend on the IDPs on daily basis?
A: On maintaining the camps, we spend about N3.5 million on maintenance and condiments apart from the food items on a daily basis for all the camps. What we mean by condiments are unions, fish, beans, tomatoes, hot and sweet pepper, seasonings, palm oil, groundnut oil, firewood, water and other essential needs of the kitchen. We spend N3.5 million on daily basis on these apart from the food items. The N3.5 million is also used for logistics like transporting the food items to the various camps and our ambulances, trucks, labourers. The government is trying to reduce it to a minimum of about N1.5 or N1.6 million.
Q: Do you think this is wise when you think of the fact that people are trooping to the camps daily?
A: As you can see, the government for the first time in ten years has received so far the lowest allocation from the federation accounts. This is not only affecting Borno but the whole country. The Sure-P money is no more there, the money from the excess crude account is no more there and what we received can only pay salary and do one or two things. As you can see, a lot of states cannot even pay their salaries but because the government of Borno has saved for the rainy days, that is why news of Borno state government not paying its salaries has not been heard.
Q: So how do you intend to balance this shortfall?
A: We invite all the key stakeholders/actors in humanitarian services and those that are willing to partner with the state government to take care of IDPs. As I said earlier, we are partnering with International Committee on Red Cross (ICRC), UNICEF, Doctors without Borders, we intend to receive more international donor agencies. We have met with NEMA and have shown them how much we have spent on a daily basis and what is our requirement in the camps are. We are also trying as much as possible to bring down the cost of running the camps on the bill of the state government to a minimal level so that government can concentrate on other developmental projects.
We are mindful of the fact that we have the issue of relocating, rehabilitating and resettling of IDPs to their various localities. We are made to understand that Monguno is now peaceful and accessible and that people can now begin to go back to Monguno, maybe Gubio and Guzamala.
Q: Is the support from some of the international bodies enough or perhaps you need friendly countries to come to your assistance?
A: Without their contributions and assistance, I do not think the government of Nigeria, with the way we have handled ourselves in the last four years, would have overcome this crisis, in terms of fighting and overcoming these insurgents, taking care of the IDPs, rebuilding, restructuring, rehabilitating and resettling the IDPs to their various localities at the same time is going to be an easy thing for the government. Though we have a new and serious government, we believe we are going to do better if the international community especially friendly nations can come to our aid in the shortest possible time. What the government needs to do is too numerous to mention and that is why the intervention of the international body is necessary. Mr. President spoke recently when he was in Niger that a lot of international bodies promised him that when he emerges the president, they would come in to build our bridges, schools, hospitals and other social amenities. If the president of Nigeria is looking for international assistance, why can’t Borno look for international assistance from anywhere?
Even though we had a meeting with NEMA and they are trying to take the responsibility of running the camps from us, we still need supports from others quarters.
Q: Finally Sir, do you think Borno state has gotten a good deal from the federal government?
A: In the past four years, we have not gotten a good deal because what we receive in the last four years was just N200 million and our counterpart-Adamawa that was not badly hit as Borno state with about six local governments affected receiving about N4.5 billion. We had 20 out of 27 local governments captured and we are the worst hit. If you go to Bama, you will see how it was destroyed, even N10 billion cannot rebuild Bama. The activities of NEMA and other federal government agencies like the Presidential Initiatives on the Northeast did very well in Adamawa that is not the worst hit. With the coming of a new president, I believe we might have a better deal and since the problem started, we have been expecting a better deal. This seems to have been taken note of by the new president who has been drawing Governor Kashim Shettima close where the issue of insurgency is to be discussed. We are now feeling like we are part of this country and that the President cares for us. We feel that in the nearest future, things are going to go well, contrary to the past when we were not carried along.
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