Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
The federal government has said it distributed thousands of bags of essential food and non-food items to Nigerians in Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camps in Cameroun, Chad and Niger, according to a report by the presidency.
A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, listed the food items distributed to the camps in the three countries to include: 12, 332 bags of parboiled rice/rice; 6,084 bags of maize; 6156 bags of millet;
5,180 bags of granulated sugar; 2,000 bags of salt (25kg);
800 bags of semolina; 4,016 bags of beans; 9,800 cartoons of Indomine noodles; 1,800 cartoons of powdered milk; 800 cartoons of spaghetti; 2,000 vegetable oil (20 litres); 2,180 cartoons of Omo detergents; 600 kegs of palm oil and 400 cartoons of 3-in-1 tea.
Akande also cited the monthly report of government actions in the North-east states affected by Boko Haram in which the Senior Special Assistant to the President (SSA-P) on IDPs in the Vice President’s Office, Dr. Mariam Masha, stated that the National Humanitarian Coordination Forum (NHCF) was addressing the welfare of IDPs in these areas.
The report indicated that non-food items supplied to the camps in the three countries from 2015 to date included medical and non-medical supplies such as antibiotics, anti-fungal, anti-malaria, anthelmintic, NSAID, non-SAID analgesics, anti-tussives and anti-thasmine drugs.
The statement said: “There were also eye drops, anti-diabetic drugs, Antacid drugs, multivitamin, laboratory consumables, blankets, mattresses, mosquito nets, men’s and women’s wears.
“In Minawao, Cameroun alone, 48,400 bags and cartoons of non-food items like medium and small mattresses, pillows, mosquito nets, blankets, towels, guinea brocade, nylon mats, plastic plates, cups, spoons and buckets, Omo detergents, washing soaps, bathroom slippers, pampers as well as exercise books pencils and textbooks were distributed to IDPs.”
The report stated that the federal government through initiative of the military had constructed a temporary school for IDPs in the Bama camp and deployed teachers for a population of over 3,000 children.
It said the military also provided solar boreholes in Dikwa, Gamboru, Monguno, Marte, Mafe Gwoa, Buni Yadi, Bulla, Allargano and in several other communities in Borno State.
“The scale of humanitarian efforts by the military also cover road construction and reconstruction, donation of educational materials to schools as well as rehabilitation of worship centres and markets in Adamawa and Yobe States,” the report added.
The report also stated that the military through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) had formed a working group which was to develop a policy framework and national action plan in preventing and countering violent extremism
The report stated that the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Health were to collaborate with the military and civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) to vaccinate children in all accessible local government areas in Borno State in support of government’s Polio Response Plan.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), according to the report, relocated a total of 23,391 IDPs from schools that were initially used as camps to new sites in Bakassi and Dalori IDP camps in Maiduguri.
Similarly, the Federal Ministry of Education provided emergency classroom supplies for learners in Borno State communities such as Konduga (675), Bama (2500), Dikwa (500), Damboa (500) and Monguno (500).
The report which noted the interventions by the Presidential Initiative for the North-east (PINE), showed that displaced persons also received from PINE, various food items (rice, millet, guinea corn, maize, iodized salt, vegetable oil and Indomie noodles).
