From SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Governor Babagama Umara Zulum of Borno State over the week assumed the role of Chief Humanitarian Officer by embarking on humanitarian trips to 14 LGAs that were most severely affected by the Boko Haram insurgents’ displacement and distributed over 600,000 bags and cartons of food varieties as well as 126,000 pieces of wrappers to displaced women.
The governor was also in Niger and Cameroon Republics to support a combined total of about 200,000 refugees from Borno state and is currently building homes in preparation for their safe and voluntary return to Borno state.
The Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Executive Chairlady, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, who disclosed this at an inter-ministerial press briefing in Maiduguri, added that the governor had approved N1 billion as counterpart funding to the Bank of Industry (BOI) to support small and medium scale entreprenuers among internally displaced and vulnerable persons.
According to her, the governor has also newly built 4,287 Emergency shelter in Damboa, Monguno, Dalori, Gwoza and Gamboru Ngala while he distributed another N1 billion as social Protection to a combination of 129,000 female IDPs, 3,127 petty traders,.
She noted that another 3,127 Physically Challenged persons, another 1,037 vulnerable blind men and women, 28,182 youths engaged in waste-for-cash jobs following ban on political thuggery and 300 female IDPs who survived gender based violence supported to start businesses of their own after acquiring various skills of their choices beneftited from the N1 billion.
Hajiya Kolo further explained that the State Pallaitives distribution during the COVID-19 lockdown order for people to stay at home, th state government targeted and distributed Palliatives to 427,123 vulnerable individuals/families in Abadam, Bama, Damboa, Gwoza, Jere, Kala Balge, Konduga, Mafa, Magumeri, MMC, Mobbar, Monguno, Ngala and Nganzai.
The SEMA Boss said the items purchased and distributed include 298,, 427.25 kg bags of bags of rice, 118,102 wrappers, 151,336.25 kg bags of maize grit, 95,741.50 kg bags of maize/corn, 75,000. 50 kg bags of beans, 70,150 cartons of noodles, 50,326 cartons of spaghetti, 50,034 cartons of vegetable oil, 44,323 cartons of pasta macoroni and 6,815 Lester mats and blankets.
She however noted that in an Efforts to increase self reliance among the people , the state government disbursed N93,800,000 as start up packages to 3,127 persons living with disabilities in.MMC and Jere LGAs.,N600,000 ti 3,127 petty traders as soft loan to boost their capital in MMC and Jere LGA.
Similarly, N515,160,000 was disbursed to 28,172 individuals at N30,000 per person per month to carry labour intensive public work for a period of 6 months in MMC and Jere LGA, set aside N800,000 and empowered 100 youths from each of 15 wards of MMC and Jere LGA with a grant of N30,000 per month and supported 120,000 vulnerable women with cash support of N5000 each totalling N800 million in Abadam, Bama, Damboa, Gwoza, Jere, Kala Balge, Konduga, Mafa, Magumeri, MMC, Mobbar, Monguno, Ngala and Nganzai.
The Executive Chairlady in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs carried out ncreasing social.cohesion and Community resilience on deradicalization, rehabiliation and reintegration of 2000 ex-i Insurgents women for economic independence in Konduga.
She added that the agency carried empowerment of 300 internally displaced gender based violence survivors from 10 different IDPs camps to support them practice the skills acquired and become economically independent in.maiduhuri metropolis as well as constructed and equipped women training centers in Maiduguri , Magumeri and Bayo while new Magumeri Vocational Training Center for IDPs was constructed.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on MDAs and Humanitarian Affairs who is also the Coordinator, Borno State Agency for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Mairi Mandara said within one year Governor Zulum has initiated and approved for the frameworks for 25 years Borno State Development Plan and 10 years Implementation Plan which centered on 8- Strategies.
The strategies are human capital Development, leadership in agriculture, health citizenry, sustainable environment, regional trade hub, reconstruct, rehabilitate and resettle, purposeful infrastructure and accountable governance.
She added that the agency has been collaborating with the NEDC and other development partners like 109 CSOs, 63 iNGOs, 10 CBOs and collaborating also with all the state ministries, Parastatals a d agencies towards achieving one goal which is rebuilding Borno state.
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