Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state has said that with the “increased tempos of rebuilding” all destroyed communities by the State’s Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (MRRR), the over two million displaced persons could return to their respective towns and villages on or before May 29, 2016.
Shettima disclosed this at the weekend at Benisheik, while inspecting the rebuilding of 15 Schools, Police and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) offices, hospitals and a council secretariat.
He said the target of the state government was January next year, in which the first chunk of Internally Displaced Persons (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, 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.
He, however, noted that this may not be achieved without the full support of the Federal Government and the international community by putting in their support to the project.
His words: “We have big plans for Borno. President Muhammadu Buhari has shown interest to support us. We believe that with the support of the Federal Government and the international community, this state shall bounce back once again. But we have to set the ball rolling and this is precisely what we have started here in Benisheikh.”
On the rebuilding of destroyed communities, Shettima said: “We are fixing Kaga Local Government Area completely in a brand new way; and we are going to replicate the same in Gwoza, a main border community with Cameroon, 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 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), head by Maj-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma to devote part of its funds in rebuilding the 20 Local Government Areas of Borno state.
The VSF money, according to him, could be better utilized and invested in the people and their infrastructural facilities destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents.
Shettima, however, noted that his administration does not want to cultivate the culture of establishing IDPs camps like in the East African country of Kenya.
“Some IDPs camps in Kenya are in existence for the past 15 years. As much as possible, we want to expedite action on rebuilding homes in areas that have been freed so that our people can go back and pick up the pieces of lives. This is why we have to sink many boreholes, so that the federal government could see our modest efforts of reconstruction, rehabilitation and re-settlements of destroyed
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