Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sidi, Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said that about 2.1 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are still in 41 camps who are yet to return to their homes despite the successes recorded by the military in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
Sidi said other IDPs have returned to their homes owing to the successes of the military in the North-east.
Moreover, about 2,400 school children from all the IDP camps have been transferred to different Unity Schools across the country to continue their education on scholarship from the Safe School Initiative programme.
Speaking after receiving the Best Performing Civil Servant and the Best Organisation for Good Governance awards from Northern Youth Council, the NEMA DG said Nigeria has passed the emergency stage in North-east owing to the continuing efforts of the Nigerian military.
He added that the development has led to the liberation of the seven local government areas previously under the control of Boko Haram insurgents and what is required now is reconstruction and rehabilitation of the region as the war is almost over.
He said, “In the last five years, we have insurgency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states which made the Federal Government declare a state of emergency in the three states. There was mass displacement of people. We still have 2.1 million IDPs with over 1 million of them in Borno State.
“We had to establish formal camps in the three states. There are about 26 camps in Borno, 11 in Adamawa and four in Yobe.
“We used to have IDP camps in Gombe and Bauchi states but due to the succeses recorded under this administration, the seven local governments controlled by the insurgents have been liberated. The 11 camps in Adamawa State have been collapsed to four, as some IDPs returned to their various homes.
“Government has policies and programmes to support those displaced. The Presidential Committee for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the displaced people led by Gen T.Y. Danjuma and the Safe School Initiative, a public-private partnership programme, is geared towards supporting the youths of Nigeria.
“Many schools were closed down in the last two years and some have not been reopened; 2,400 children were transfered under Safe School scheme from the North-east to other parts of the country on scholarship. There is the programme of building and rehabilitation of all schools affected in the three states. Nigerian government is doing a lot to support the IDPs who are now fed thrice daily.”
-Leadership