Maiduguri – The Senator-elect for Borno Central, Alhaji Babakaka Garbai, on Tuesday said his major task at the Senate would be to facilitate the safe return of people displaced from their communities by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Garbai said while interacting with newsmen in Maiduguri, that the constituency had suffered massive destruction since the conflict started.
“Borno central is the most populated area out of the three Senatorial Districts in the state, but it is sad to say that apart from Maiduguri, all other centers in the district have been displaced by the Boko Haram insurgents,” Garbai said.
He added:“Bama, Gamboru-Ngala, Dikwa, Mafa, Konduga are population centers, most of the inhabitants are living in refugee camps.
“So it is now a challenge on me as a senator-elect to ensure that these people get back to their respective towns and villages.”
Garbai however noted that those displaced would not go back home and live in open spaces.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“It is important that we have to reconstruct the places, so that the people will have where to stay.
“There were lots of initiatives by Federal Government like the Victims Support Fund to assist in that direction,” he said.
“ President Muhammdu Buhari has also inaugurated a high powered committee headed by retired Gen. Theophilus Danjuma to take charge of reconstructing places destroyed by the insurgents.
“I will work in partnership with my colleagues at the Senate towards giving legislative approval to the committee to begin work, so that it will be able to reconstruct these towns and villages.
“We also have to ensure the success of some programmes like the de-radicalization of the insurgents that had surrendered after been forced to join the group.
“We will ensure adequate funding at the National Assembly to programmes that affect the welfare of the displaced persons,” he said.
He laso promised to work towards providing jobs to the teeming unemployed youths in the area.
“Youth unemployment is also a major challenge, there are lots of young men of school age who are not doing anything for a living in the major urban centers in my district.
“We will work towards encouraging the setting up of vocational training centers in different areas, where there are existing ones, we will ensure that they are strengthened, we have one in Maiduguri, Bama, and other places.
“We will also ensure that those trained are provided working tools and capital to ensure that they are self employed,” he said. (NAN)
