Maiduguri – The Borno Government said on Monday that it planned to provide emergency relief package for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Gamboru-Ngala town who had just returned home from Fotokol in Cameroon Republic.
Malam Satomi Ahmed, the Executive Chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.
Ahmed said that the package would include food and non food items aimed at providing succour to the returnees.
“Actually, it was the Borno Government that facilitated their return from Cameroon about two weeks ago from Fotokol where they had been taking refuge.
“We provided a heavy duty vehicle to clear the bush around the place so that the IDPs can stay.
“Even the roads linking Cameroon and Gamboru had to be cleared because they had been overtaken by weeds over a long time,” he said.
He said that government provided some relief materials to the IDPs at their arrival from Cameroon.
“We gave some them relief materials when they went back.The items were distributed by the caretaker committee chairman of the Local Government Council.
“But I think it was just not enough at that time, so we are mobilising more items for them,” Ahmed said.
Malam Mohammed Kanar the Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), also confirmed the plans to send aid to the IDPs in Gamboru to cushion their hardships.
Kanar said that the materials would be provided in collaboration with the state government.
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“We are awaiting the state government to finalise arrangements for the delivery of the materials to the IDPs in Gamboru,” he said.
Speaking, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulkareem, the Caretaker Chairman of the Local Government Council, appealed to donor agencies to provide relief materials to residents of the area who had just returned from Cameroon after fleeing their homes due to the Boko Haram insurgency.
He said that a large number of them were faced with humanitarian problems after returning home from Internally Displaced Person (IDPs) camps in Cameroon.
“Currently 50, 000 returnees are living in their houses in Gamboru, while over 5,000 others are residing in the IDPs camps in Gamboru town.
“But these people require urgent help as they are in dire need of food and other essentials,” Abdulkareem said.
He said although the federal and state governments had provided some help, there was still lot more to be done.
The chairman, however, expressed happiness that the returnees were trying to adjust to the situation in spite of the hardships being faced.
“I am happy to see commercial activities picking up at the Gamboru main market.
“It is a sign that things will pick up in the next few days,” he said.(NAN)
