By Dauda R Pam Maiduguri
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of BORNO state has again fulfilled his pledge to return about 760 households of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)to their ancestral home in Ngoshe town of Gwoza local government area amidst jubilations,pomp and pageantry.
Governor Zulum had earlier this month innugurated two committees for the relocation of Marte, Ngoshe, Warabe Ashigashiya and Hambagda IDPs, with specific instructions to the committee to ensure that Ngoshe IDPs return to their ancestral abode on or before October 15,2020.
Represented by his deputy,Umar Usman Kadafur, the GOVERNOR expressed satisfaction with the level of reconstruction and all arrangements put in place with regards to security and social amenities provided in the town for the smooth resettlement of the first batch of 760 IDPs households,who have been severed from their ancestral abode for over seven years.
He assured the returning IDPs that the state government has been very much concerned about their continuous stay at the IDP camps, hence, the need for government to do everything possible to returned them to their ancestral home with respect and dignity and urged them to be law abiding citizens and co-operate with each other as well as the security personnel and report any suspicious movement noticed in the area to the appropriate quarters.
Hear him, ” I urge you to as a matter of necessity return to your farming and other business activities, as the state government will continue to support you and provide you with additional social amenities as soon as possible.”
The deputy governor, commended the reconstruction committee for a job well done and all the prominent sons and daughters of Gwoza local government for their support and assistance which greatly facilitated the resettlement of the IDPs .
The senator, Ali Ndume, representing southern Borno at the National Assembly, also expressed satisfaction with the level of security arrangement put in place in Ngoshe town stressing that so far the town is as safe as any other places one can think of.
Senator Ali Ndume,a son of the area appealed to journalists to change their narratives of inciting and frightening reports that discourage IDPS from returning to their communities but, should rather give them hope and words of encouragement and commended the state for reconstructing over 200 houses as well as provision of basic amenities in Ngoshe town.
Earlier, the chairman of the reconstruction committee of Ngoshe town, Engineer Yuguda Vungas, said about 760 households have so far been resettled in the newly constructed 200 houses while awaiting for about 400 additional houses to cater for subsequent resettlement.
He said the IDPS are willing to return to their communities, and that so far the IDPS that have returned are more than the targeted 760 households and expressed hope that in the next few days almost all the IDPS of Ngoshe town will be resettled.
Mallam Ali Ngoshe,a returnee,thanked the state government and the military for facilitating their return to their ancestral homes after over seven years in IDP camps.
Another IDP Also another IDP retunee,Fatima Ibrahim, commended the state government for resettling them back to their communities, adding that this will help them pick the pieces of their lives after many years of displacement.
