The Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Sani Sidi, says the agency has commenced working out modalities towards rehabilitation and reconstruction of war devastated areas affected by the Boko Haram insurgency especially in Nigeria’s north-east region.
This came as the Boko Haram insurgency gradually winds up, sequel to sustained military operation in the troubled north east of the country.
The NEMA boss gave the hint on Thursday while presenting food items and other relief materials to insurgency and flood victims in Pompomari camp in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital which currently has a total population of 4211 persons.
Mr Sidi said that the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration had constituted a presidential committee charged with the responsibility of identifying the destroyed communities and their immediate needs for urgent attention as soon as the military certify the safety in the war devastated areas.
The committee, according to him, would also work out ways of restoring the means of livelihood of the inhabitants so as to contribute to nation building as they return to their various communities.
He commended the Yobe State government for integrating the IDPs into the immediate community in the stead of resorting to opening up conventional camps which were prone to so many social ills.
The DG, who also praised the synergy between NEMA and the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA), appealed to other philanthropists to partner with the agencies in efforts to improve the living conditions of the IDPs.
The Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, who was represented by his deputy, Abubakar Aliyu, thanked NEMA for the gesture.
He assured the agency that the materials would be distributed evenly to the IDPs as well as called for sustain assistance in time of needs.
According to Governor Gaidam, as a result of the insurgency, the Yobe State government was forced to establish IDPs camps to house the displaced persons, an initiative he said had so far cost 800 million naira.
He appealed to philanthropists, individuals, corporate bodies and non-governmental organisations to emulate the agencies by coming to the aid of the IDPs in the state and beyond.
The Director of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA), Mr Idi Jidawa, while speaking on the operation of the camp, said that since it opened for operation, it has recorded 38 births, 7 deaths with 8 marriages.
He also said that the camp had 128 breast feeding mothers while 91 persons with various ailments had so far been referred to various hospitals across the state, neighbouring Borno and Kano State.
