Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported the peace dialogue in some communities in Borno State in order to find a lasting solution to the lingering Boko Haram crisis and suffering of the people in the North-east.
The USAID through the North East Regional Initiative (NERI) sponsored a programme: “Community Clean-up and Peace Dialogue,†which is managed by Cohort for Existential Emergency Relief (CEER). The programme is designed to give cash to youths who are deployed to clean up their communities.
The youths are also engaged in dialogue on ways to bring lasting peace to their communities.
So far, the programme has captured 350 persons in both Dikwa and Konduga local government areas of Borno State.
Speaking at the flag off of the exercise in Shuwari area of Konduga Local Government Area, Mallam Yusuf Muhammad, the Executive Director of CEER, said the programme was just concluded in Dikwa where 200 youths were deployed in sanitation exercise where they were paid N3,000 daily for 20 days.
He said the same amount would be given to 150 youths in 20 days in Shuwari area which comprises five communities — Tomri, Mainari, Dugmari, Kardari and Durmari.
Muhammad said the youths are expected to clean up the entire area and would also be engaged in dialogue on how to bring back peace to the area.
He lamented that the five communities were selected to benefit from the exercise because there is barely no developmental project executed by government within them.
He said the programme is planned to be executed in other part of troubled Borno State.
