By Adoyi M. Aba
Abuja
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), at the behest of the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has started moving into communities liberated from Boko Haram insurgents to assist returnees to rebuild their lives in Adamawa state.
Director General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani-Sidi, set up a committee with a charge to carry out assessments and determine the immediate needs of people displaced by insurgency who are returning to their communities upon the restoration of peace and order by the military.
According to a statement issued by the Agency’s Senior Information Officer, Sani Datti,the committee will follow up immediately with appropriate relief materials to assist in the initial rehabilitation of the returning victims.
It said seven of eight local government areas occupied by Boko Haram insurgents in Adamawa state had been liberated by the military.
“Those liberated so far are Mubi North, Mubi South, Hong, Gombi, Maiha, Ganye and Michika, local government area.
“The committee has started its work at Gombi local government area with a boost from the Minister of Youth Development and former governor of Adamawa state, Mr. Boni Haruna, who accompanied the team on the exercise. Others who were with the NEMA committee included Dr. Rejoice Chama, Commissioner for Health, Adamawa state, Mr. Peter Salihu Gogura, Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, officials of Adamawa state Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Red Cross Society.”
It added that some of the returned residents expressed appreciation for the restoration of peace in their communities and urged government to ensure sustainable security in the communities.
“They appealed to government for more support to rebuild their damaged homes.”
Leader of the committee, Musa Zakari, said NEMA had already deployed trucks of relief materials to the area.
He said more supports are on the way from federal government to assist the returning to recover from their losses and urged the returned residents to call their relatives that are yet to return to come back to their homes.
Earlier, the committee paid a courtesy visit to the Lamidon Adamawa, Dr. Muhammadu Bakindo Aliyu Mustapha, at his palace in Yola to brief him on their assignment to facilitate the initial rehabilitation of displaced victims returning to their liberated communities.
