Damaturu- Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe has expressed the readiness of his government to partner with Federal Ministry of Women Affairs on resettlement, reconstruction and rehabilitation of women displaced by insurgency.
Gaidam stated this on Saturday when the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan, paid him a courtesy visit in Damaturu.
He said the task of reconstructing structures destroyed by insurgency was capital intensive and solicited the support of Federal Government and groups to rebuild the structures.
“The serious problem facing us now is how to rehabilitate, resettle the affected victims and reconstruct their houses which were either destroyed or completely razed down by the insurgents.
“N12 billion will be required to reconstruct the structures destroyed by insurgency.
“The task of rebuilding the damaged structures is enormous and beyond the financial capacity of the state government alone.
“Most of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have returned to their communities but we have about 3,000 IDPs being maintained in the official camp,’’ he said
Earlier, the minister said that she was in the state to sensitise women to their eligibility to access the Federal Government’s N1.6 billion micro-finance scheme.
She said that Yobe was one of the eight pilot states selected for the social protection programme.
“We are here to educate and sensitise women to taking the opportunity of the programme and be self-reliant,’’ she said.
The minister said that she would also interact with women and girls at the Pompomari IDP camp to investigate alleged cases of violation reported in some camps in the north eastern part of the country.