Zulum a Shining Example of FG, State Collaboration – Minister
By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has led a Nigerian government delegation to Baga Sola in Chad Republic to initiate the repatriation of refugees displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.
The refugees, predominantly Borno State indigenes, have been displaced for nearly a decade due to insurgent activities around the Lake Chad Basin, according to a statement from Zulum’s media aide, Abdurraman Bundi, on Thursday.
The delegation included the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, and the Federal Commissioner/CEO of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).
Upon arrival in Baga Sola on Wednesday, Zulum and his team were received by the Governor of Lac Province, Saleh Haggar Tidjani.
“In the first batch of the repatriation exercise, about 1,768 families comprising 7,790 people will return to Nigeria,” the statement added.
Before launching the repatriation, Zulum attended the signing of a tripartite agreement between Nigeria, Chad, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Baga Sola.
Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu signed on behalf of Nigeria, Governor Saleh Haggar Tidjani for Chad, and Jerome Merlin, Deputy Representative of UNHCR in Baga Sola, for the UN refugee agency.
In his address at the signing ceremony, Zulum emphasized that only those who voluntarily expressed interest in returning would be repatriated. He also expressed gratitude to the Chadian government for hosting thousands of Nigerians displaced by the crisis.
The delegation also included Abdulkadir Ibrahim Ghani, Head of Chancery at the Nigerian Embassy in N’Djamena; Hon. Karta Maina Ma’aji, Member of the Borno State House of Assembly representing Kukawa; Prof. Usman Tar, Commissioner of Information; Sugun Mai Mele, Commissioner for Local Government Affairs; and Mustapha Ali Busuguma, Permanent Secretary of Government House.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Sununu, praised Governor Zulum for his leadership and collaboration with the federal government.
“I want to thank the Executive Governor of Borno State for showing leadership during crises and serving as a role model in terms of complete collaboration with the federal government and for providing all the necessary support,” Sununu said.
