Post Insurgency: Shettima Set Education as Priority in Borno's 2017 N183 billion budget

Shettima Set Education as Priority in Borno's 2017 N183 billion budget 

‎... Capital projects take over 60%

 

Gov. kashim Shettima
Executive Governor, Borno State. 

Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima on Wednesday announced the highest allocation of N33 billion naira for the reconstruction of schools destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents and fresh construction works across educational institutions as Borno State budgets N183 billion naira for the 2017 fiscal year.

Tagged “Budget of CONSOLIDATION, RESTORATION & REBIRTH' the Appropriation bill allocated N124 billion representing more than 60% while N59 billion was allocated for recurrent expenditure. A total of N183,840,489,081.00 was budgeted for the year. ‎The Health sector trailed education with N19b, while Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement got N13b with Agriculture trailing them with the allocation of N7b.

Speaking at the chambers of the Borno State House of Assembly in Maiduguri, the Governor said education was worst hit by the attacks of Boko Haram maintaining that his administration is taking a major step to fix education in the State. 

‎"Education is the sector which captures our attention the most.  It is the area that has suffered the worst onslaught of the insurgency. Our experiences have shown that its inadequacy could be risky and its neglect could also be a recipe for insecurity even in the future. It is for this reason that the education sector alone excluding the primary level is allocated the sum of N33 billion for primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary schools. The amount allocated is to enable us continue with the reconstruction, rehabilitation of the educational infrastructure and facilities at the secondary and tertiary levels. Furthermore, the huge budgetary provision is also to enable the full take-off of our newly recognized State University in 2017 and ensure that more facilities and structures are put in place to obtain accreditation of all courses in faculties billed to take-off during the year. Most Primary Schools in the Local Government Areas hitherto occupied by Boko Haram were completely destroyed, the Universal Basic Education Board is to undertake reconstruction of all primary schools, renovate existing schools, supply most needed educational materials and of course feed the  primary school pupils  across the State and provide more furniture to enhance teaching and learning at the primary school level" Shettima said. 

The Governor announced that his administration's determination to take full advantage of emerging peace to change the fortunes of the State.

No NYSC Corps Member was killed by the Boko Haram in Borno in the last Five Years - Gov Shettima

Gov. Shettima visit Borno NYSC camp holding in Bauchi...

Governor Kashim Shettima inspecting a guard of honour mounted by members of the Batch ' B' 2016 members of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, posted to Borno State at College of Education, Kangere in Bauchi, venue of their ongoing orientation camp when he visited them ‎on Tuesday. 

Shettima in Bauchi: 'No corps member was killed by Boko Haram  in Borno' 

... Says former Minister insists daughter serves in Borno 

Borno Governor,  Kashim Shettima on Tuesday addressed 1,387 graduates of the Batch 'B' 2016 members of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, posted to Borno State but currently undergoing weeks of orientation at the College of Education, Kangere, 20 kilometers away from Bauchi town. Shettima told the corps members that whereas some of them may be planning re-deployment, he assured them of their safety, declaring that in the last five years, no single corps member was killed by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State". 

The Governor told the corps members that whoever serves in Borno under his Government would have one his or her best moments as a graduate. The Governor also said that a former Minister, whose identity wasn't disclosed, had insisted that has persuaded his daughter not to seek re-deployment out of Borno. 

"The late Mahatma Gandhi said, 'the best way to find yourself, is to loose yourself in the service of others'. I was reliably informed that amongst you here, there is a daughter of a former Minister, posted to Borno like all of you. The former Minister, I am told, said to his daughter, 'I love you so much but I want you to serve this country in Borno State where you have been posted because service to our country requires sacrifice. If everyone re-deploys from Borno, what happens to the people of Borno who have suffered so much and need to be supported?'. I want to thank that former Minister and appreciate his patriotism. I assure you all of your security insha Allah. No corper was killed in the last five years. We will give you the best of secured accommodation, we will give you extra allowances, the NYSC can bear testimony to how we support corps members posted to Borno. Also, there are many international partners from the UN, local and International NGO's operating in Borno, these are additional avenues for many opportunities you can also have to develop your potentials. I served in Calabar, the Governor of Bauchi State who is here with me, served in Port Harcourt. The whole essence of NYSC is for us to move out of our comfort zones to know our country, to build bridges that can last our lifetimes and to give back to our countries" Shettima said. 

The Governor who passionately sang the NYSC anthem ‎to the amazement of the corps members announced donation of food items that included dozens of cows, 100 bags of rice, beans and other ingredients. 

Earlier, the State Coordinator of the NYSC in Borno State, Alhaji Lawwal Turawa ‎thanked the Governor of Bauchi State, Barrister Mohammed Abubakar for relocating the corps members from an initial camp in Bauchi which had problems, to the College of Education, Kangere, which he describes as very convenient for the orientation. 

Our correspondent reports that corps members posted to Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States  had held successive camps for swearing-in, orientation and passing- out- parades in different States based on decisions by the NYSC headquarters in the last 3 or 4 years due to security challenges in the northeast. After camps, some corps members seek re-deployment while many others report to their respective States of initial posting in the northeast. 

Northern Governors and General Electric sign MOU for 5 power plants ‎

Left to Right: The Chairman, Northern States Governors' Forum, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, President/Chief Executive Officer, ‎General Electric, Nigeria, Dr Lazarus Angbazo;  General Electric's Senior Executive, Western Europe and Africa, Mr Armand Pineda, the CEO, Northern Nigeria Global Economic Re-integration Programme, Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi at the signing of MOU between General Electric and Northern Governors for the construction of five solar power plants in Borno, Niger, Kebbi, Nassarawa and Taraba States... which held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Monday. 

The Northern States Governors' Forum and the General Electric ‎International, on Monday signed a memoranda of understanding for the construction of five solar plants that aim at generating 500 megawatts of electricity in some parts of Northern Nigeria. 

Borno State Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors ' Forum, Kashim Shettima signed the agreement on behalf of the ‎Governors while General Electric's Senior Executive, Western Europe and Africa, Mr Armand Pineda and the President/Chief Executive Officer, ‎General Electric, Nigeria, Dr Lazarus Angbazo signed on behalf of their company in a brief ceremony which held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. 

Based on the MOU, the General Electric which has 120 years experience in power generation, is to build five solar power plants to be located in Borno, Kebbi, Nassarawa, Niger and Taraba States which each of the plants expected to generate 100 megawatts of electricity totaling 500 megawatts across the 5 States. The electricity is meant to stimulate economic activities and social services in the affected States through boosting agricultural food processing, small scale businesses in addition to supplying electricity to schools and hospitals. 

The project which is a pilot phase, is being coordinated by the Northern Nigeria Global Economic Re-integrationProgramme, newly created by the Northern Governors to serve as vehicle for the economic recovery of northern States through international relations on infrastructure, manufacturing, stimulate agricultural value chain and trade and make the region a global payer agricultural  export in line with the vision of late Premier of the Region. 

The Governors Forum led by Governor Kashim Shettima, engaged the services of Malam Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi as Cheif Executive Officer of the Programme. Kurfi was Chief Economic Adviser to late President Umaru Musa Yar'adua and he has wide contact with leading development companies and financial institutions across the world. 

"The 19 Governors of the north jointly created this approach. We want to go beyond lamentation to provide solutions and we all know that power is key to industrial development. With power, we can create jobs, stimulate our economies and make life better for our people. The General Electric has over 120 years experience in energy solutions and they have been operating in Nigeria for over 50 years, we cannot have a better partner than GE. We shall do our part as Governors, this I will assure you. We are deeply committed to this agreement" Governor Kashim Shettima said at the MOU signing ceremony.

The Northern Governors Chairman enumerated challenges of poverty, unemployment, poor access to education, poor healthcare amongst other underdevelopment indications threatening the north while concluding that the power can provide a vehicle for the north to reposition itself for a better future. 

The CEO, Northern Nigeria Global Economic Re-Integration Programme, Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi said he took up the challenge ‎put forward by the Northern Governors as a result of strong passion and commitment to aggressive development of the north as so far shown by the Northern Governors since Governor Shettima became the forum's chairman in 2015.

Reaffirming their commitment to the MOU, General Electric's Senior Executive, Western Europe and Africa, Mr Armand Pineda and the President/Chief Executive Officer, ‎General Electric, Nigeria, Dr Lazarus Angbazo both pledged that they would work round the clock to realize the project for the benefits of citizens of the five States. 

GOV KASHIM SHETTIMA, NSC TO FAST-TRACK DRY PORT IN MAIDUGURI

SHETTIMA, NSC TO FAST-TRACK DRY PORT IN MAIDUGURI

GOVERNOR KASHIM SHETTIMA 

Governor Kashim Shettima is to work with the Nigerian Shippers Council to fast-track the establishment of the  Maiduguri ‎Dry Port project which was approved by the Federal Government since 2006. When established, the port will have all the features of an International Port with all agencies similar to those at the Ports in Lagos, Port Harcourt and other parts of the country, for import and distribution of goods from Nigeria to countries like Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Sudan and Central Africa. 

This was the outcome of a visit and courtesy call by a delegation from the Nigerian Shippers Council led by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Hassan Bello. The visitors included the some shippers and the management of a company granted consent to operate the Maiduguri Port. 

Bello acknowledged that Borno Government has already allocated a good site for the Port while the Council is ready to work with the State to have a Project Implementation Committee to comprise officials at the Federal and State level to begin work. The E.S said the site allocated by Borno Government will require roads, electricity, water and security posts, all of which Governor Shettima promised to provide. 

"The Maiduguri Port will be just like the Apapa Port, it will have all the departments and all stakeholders in the maritime industry, the only thing that will differ from Maiduguri Dry Port and Apapa will be water. However, containers are going to be shipped by railway soon as they arrive Lagos or any Port. A Port is not meant to be warehouse, it is a place for clearing goods. We don't have any need of stocking containers in Lagos, we will transport them to Dry Ports as they land from ships  Goods will be cleared here in Maiduguri without the need to go to Lagos or any other port. The project will create at least 5,000 jobs apart from the economic benefits associated with Ports. ‎There will be customs, NDLEA, freight handlers, agents of all kinds all in Maiduguri. The benefits are so enormous" the Executive Secretary said. 

Governor Kashim Shettima who received Bello and his team said he was committed to fast-tracking the establishment of the Port in Maiduguri given the economic benefits that would help in the fighting poverty that contributes to insecurity. 

"If we are serious about addressing the Boko Haram insurgency, we have to fix Borno and rest of the northeast. Some may see the Boko Haram crisis as Borno's problem but then, there is always a ripple effect when a population center within a region is either hot or cold. Borno is to the northeast, what Kano is to the Northwest; Borno is to the northeast, what Lagos is to the Southwest and what Port Harcourt is to the South-South. It is expectant that if the economy of Lagos boils, the southwest would catch cold. Borno is gateway to export of goods to Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Sudan and Central Africa. Borno has the chunk of the northeast population. 

I am quite glad that the Nigerian Shippers Council is committed to this dry port in Borno because that project is capable of making huge impact in the economy of Borno with multiplier effects on the rest of the northeast. 

‎ We will give the NSC all the support to ensure the success of this project" Shettima said. 

The Governor paid glowing tributes to the E.S for what he described as his "competent handling of the Shippers Council through skills, humility and politeness". 

"It is really a great feat to efficiently manage the complex nature of the maritime industry which has very wealthy shippers, the controversial NIMASA, customs, terminal operators and different actors. 

But I think I can understand why the E.S is succeeding. I strongly think beside his evident competence,  his major strength is his humility and politeness and these are attributes that help in team building and collectivism in approach to attaining goals.‎ I am hopeful that Borno State will soon benefit from the competence and commitment of the E.S through the inland terminal otherwise referred to as dry port" Shettima added. 

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INSURGENCY: COURAGEOUS GOVERNOR, KASHIM SHETTIMA MOVES OFFICE TO BAMA, BEGINS MAJOR RECONSTRUCTION

THE COURAGEOUS GOVERNOR, KASHIM SHETTIMA MOVES OFFICE TO BAMA, BEGINS MAJOR RECONSTRUCTION  ...Commissions 500 civilian JTF, vigilantes to compliment soldiers - Kolade Oludare.

Gov. Kashim Shettima in Bama, Borno State.

Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima temporarily ‎relocated his office to Bama town, an urban centre, severely destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents during their nearly two years occupation before it was liberated by the military late, 2015. Bama town, located 74 kilometers away from Maiduguri, is one of the third most populated local government areas next to Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Biu in southern part of the State.

Insurgents had attacked the town killing dozens, destroyed ‎more than 80 percent of the thousands of houses in the town, sacked the Emir and took over his palace after declaring it as sovereign territory with set of laws and 'constitutional' leader.  The military toppled the insurgents and recovered the area by the end of 2015, months after President Muhammadu Buhari took over affairs. 

To fast track major reconstruction works which was flagged off on Wednesday, Governor Kashim Shettima now lives in Bama town with his close aides. The Governor departed Maiduguri at about 12:10pm and arrived Bama at about 2:18 pm and he went straight to supervising inspect reconstruction works on private residential houses, police stations, stores, schools, hospitals, the Emirs palace among others. The Governor had deployed construction equipment and hundreds of trucks of variety of building materials which are already in Bama for the reconstruction works. 

"My office is now here. I decided to relocate here to live here and supervise reconstruction works. I will administer Borno State from here. I am fully prepared to be here for days to come, one week, two weeks or even more. I will not leave until we are able to rebuild a good number of private houses, municipal buildings, markets, schools and clinics. I want the reconstruction work to take proper shape before I leave. We cannot wait till forever before we reclaim our destiny. Bama is the one of the worst affected areas and we will move from here to other parts of the State. While I am here, we have a full structure of Government in place operating in Maiduguri so that activities of managing IDP'S, civil service, implementation of Government policies and programmes will continue while I am here. I will be in constant touch with Maiduguri, I came prepared" Shettima said 

The Governor also commissioned 500 newly recruited civilian JTF and vigilantes employed from locals in Bama to use community intelligence in working with the military to strengthen security in the area so as to forestall unanticipated attacks. 

Earlier, the Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Dr Babagana Umara Zulum announced that the reconstruction activities has created nearly 1000 direct jobs beside stimulating the economy of the State through procurements of different building materials and payment for services. 

The Commissioner said with the support his Ministry receives from Governor Kashim Shettima, his men were fully ready to make the Governor proud. He gave the indication that Shettima was bound to see new developments every day he goes out for inspection.

Insurgency: General Danjuma commissions 40 public buildings in Borno.

Insurgency: General Danjuma commissions 40 public buildings in Dikwa,  liberated stronghold  .... Lauds Shettima over 16 additional projects with VSF's N250m materials. - Kolade Oludare

 

Governor Kashim Shettima welcoming General T.Y.Danjuma at the Maiduguri International Airport ahead of the commissioning of 40 public buildings reconstructed through a partnership between the Borno State Government and the Victims Support Fund chaired by Danjuma... at a ceremony in Dikwa town, Borno State, on Wednesday.

Left to right: Borno State Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Dr Babagana Umara Zulum, Governor Kashim Shettima and General T.Y. Danjuma ‎commissioning 40 public buildings reconstructed through a partnership between the Borno State Government and the Victims Support Fund chaired by Danjuma... at a ceremony in Dikwa town, Borno State, on Wednesday. 

Former Minister of Defense, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma on Wednesday commissioned a General Hospital, council secretariat, police station and 37 other public structures to set stage for return of internally displaced persons to Dikwa town, headquarters of Dikwa local government area in central part of Borno, used to be one of Boko Haram’s occupied and administered territories before liberation by Nigerian troops under the Buhari Administration.  Dikwa is 80 kilometers from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Danjuma had arrived ‎Maiduguri a little after 10am and was received by Governor Shettima at the Maiduguri International Airport before proceeding straight to Dikwa for the commissioning. 

Our correspondent reports that ‎the Victims Support Fund, initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan and chaired by ‎Danjuma had two months ago gone into a pilot partnership with the Borno State Government which involved the Fund donating building materials worth two hundred million naira and cash of N50m for labour and supervision to the Borno State Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement which was to rebuild 24 public structures including a General Hospital, schools, the council secretariat, police barracks, police stations and other public buildings to put in place civil authority and essential facilities to prepare the return of IDPS. However, Governor Shettima guided the Ministry into using the same amount of materials to reconstruct 16 additional public buildings beside the 24 earmarked by the Victims Support Fund bringing to 40, the total number of buildings rebuilt through the partnership.  

"We gave Borno building materials wort!h N200m and cash of N50m for payment of labourers and other coordinating items to reconstruct 24 public buildings we identified in Dikwa but to our pleasant surprise, the Borno State Government used the same materials and money to reconstruct not only the 24 public buildings to standard but added 16 others. This is remarkable'" Danjuma was told by Professor Sunday Ochoche, Executive Director of the VSF.

While commissioning the 40 projects, General Danjuma, dressed in sky blue jeans shirt and trouser, said he was impressed with the 'judicious use of resources by Governor Kashim Shettima" noting that with the positive attitude displayed by the Governor, the Victims Support Fund has decided to make intervention on reconstruction of Bama town, the worst affected by Boko Haram occupation. 

The retired General said out of over N50b donated by corporate organizations, individuals and Government institutions during fund raiser at take off, only less than half the amount has been redeemed to the fund so far. He explained that when it was established, the scope of the Fund was to rehabilitate victims of the Boko Haram insurgency but that the Buhari Government expanded the scope of the Fund to include ‎reconstruction. He noted that Dikwa town was the test of reconstruction works by the Fund and Bama will be next. Danjuma also said the Fund would make intervention in supporting individual victims to rebuild their homes through a controlled system of donations made to them with supervision on how they apply the donations. 

In his remarks, Governor Kashim Shettima was full ‎of praises for General Danjuma's role in managing the Victims Support Fund. 

"In 2014, when it was made public that one of Africa’s foremost philanthropist, one of Nigeria's most disciplined Generals, one of northern Nigeria’s most revered leaders, General T.Y.Danjuma was to chair the Insurgency Victims Support ‎Fund, every reasonable Nigerian ad even the international community had hopes rising because everyone knew that whatever amount that was to be raised was going to be safe under the custody of our father, General T. Y. Danjuma. Indeed, General Danjuma proved everyone right because not only did he work to redeem pledges and kept the money safe, he went as far as donating a whopping sum of ten million dollars which is equivalent of N3.4 Billion today, to the fund. Nigeria is grateful to General Danjuma and the people of Borno State are profoundly grateful to him because Borno is the nerve center of the destructions" Shettima said.

The Governor pledged to be firmly committed to accelerating reconstruction works to fast-track the return of IDPS to safe communities so as to restore their dignity. ‎He explained that operating IDP camps is usually accompanied by series of problems. 

Dr Babagana Umara Zulum, Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement in Borno State explained that Governor Shettima had sounded it clear that resources must be judicious utilized to achieve greater results and hence his Ministry's strict adherence t meeting standard with minimum resources. 

The Commissioner conducted General Danjuma round the reconstructed General Hospital, the council secretariat, police barrack and a school, as samples of the 40 public buildings ready for use by citizens.

PHOTO: Senate President Visits Maiduguri.

The Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki(2nd right) receiving one of the 600 malnourished children treated after their evacuation from Bama IDP camp two months ago, when Governor Kashim Shettima led the Senate President to the Special Malnutrition care unit established by Borno Government in Maiduguri after a condolence on the family of late elder Statesman, Shettima Ali Monguno in Maiduguri. - Kolade Oludare

Photo after the cut.

First on the left is the Chairman, Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Engineer Garba Satomi, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima.

PHOTOS: NATIONAL HOSPITAL ABUJA LOCKED DOWN BY ABUJA ENVIRONMENTALS

An official of Abuja environmental who spoke to us this morning on anonymity told us they have to locked up National hospital because they (National Hospital) can no longer afford to pay their bills and that is why they have come to lock up the NATIONAL Hospital with security agents and court order pasted on the entrance. - Kolade Oludare.

 

Pictures after the cut.

 

 

 

 

 

KASHIM SHETTIMA: N345m IS TOTAL CASH DONATION WE RECEIVED ON IDPS FROM 2011 TO DATE

SHETTIMA: N345m IS TOTAL CASH DONATION WE RECEIVED ON IDPS FROM 2011 TO DATE - Kolade Oludare

Kashim Shettima - Governor of Borno State

 

... Amount covers all sources,Int'l and local, including 4 years of Jonathan 

Contrary to wild assumptions that the Borno State Government has received billions of cash donations in local and foreign currencies for the management of Internally Displaced Persons, the State Governor, Kashim Shettima has revealed that a lot of Nigerians may be shocked to know that a total of three hundred and forty five million naira (N345m) is the overall amount received as cash donation by his administration from May, 2011 when he inherited the Boko Haram crisis to date. 

Governor Shettima made the disclosure while responding to questions by  journalists in Maiduguri shortly after his arrival from Abuja. The journalists sort his response over claims on the social media and a section of the main stream media the 'the Borno Government had received billions of naira in cash donations as support to cater for IDP'S whereas the donation was diverted by Govt officials with food supplies not provided for the IDPS.

"You see, contrary to wild assumptions that the Borno State Government has received billions of cash donations in local and foreign currencies for the management of Internally Displaced Persons, a lot of Nigerians may be shocked to know that a total of three hundred and forty five million naira (N345m) is the overall amount received as cash donation by our administration from May, 2011 to date.

‎Here is the list of cash donations we received from all sources whatsoever for the support of IDPS, in Borno State and this figure is from 2011 when I took over, to this moment:   

‎1. The FG under Jonathan gave us N200m in 4 years

2. Lagos State Government, N50m in October, 2015 

3. Edo State Government, N25m in 2013

4. Kano State,  N20m in 2013

5. Adamawa State, N20m in 2013

6. Ekiti State, N10m‎ in 2013 

7. Osun State, N10m in 2013

8. Kaduna State, N5m

9. Unity Bank, N5m 

 

‎‎There is one woman who prefers her name not to be mentioned, she donated one hundred thousand naira in cash bringing total cash received to three hundred and forty five million, one hundred thousand naira. 

‎So, in effect, N345m is the total cash donation received by the Borno State Government from 2011 to date meant for support of internally displaced persons and we were spending N600m every month to cater for IDP'S throughout the Jonathan era.  All other interventions have been in kind through donation of food items or medical supplies etc and they include:  

 

A. Kebbi State Government had donated 1,200 bags of rice

B. Ebonyi State Government gave us 5,000 bags of rice

C. Taraba gave us 3 trucks of highland tea 

D. Gombe gave us 6 trucks of assorted food products via 2 interventions.

These were all for IDP interventions from State Government but of course, there have many other groups who visited and donated food items in the last five years but certainly not cash to Borno State Government" he said.

The Governor explained that International partners operate in such a way they have technical partners that implement their interventions. 

‎"We have received tremendous support from some part of the International community but no foreign country or any International partner within or outside the UN and major world donors gave any cash to our administration from 2011 to date for the purpose of IDPS but rather all donations come in materials like medical supplies, technical support and food items, most of which are directly distributed by the International partners themselves to reach IDP'S in different parts of Borno State. Amounts you might heard through the media were not cash donated to Borno by international partners but rather, items and services worth such amount mentioned to the public. They do not give cash. For instance, there was a time the General Electric graciously donated one million dollars to Borno in support of IDPS,I was at the presentation in Abuja, I was even presented the symbolic cheque but the money was paid to UNICEF and it was UNICEF to implemented the G.E's intervention in the era of Healthcare and nutrition.

When the Government of Norway announced donation of 4 million dollars, the money wasn't given in the form of cash to Borno, it was the worth of their food supplies and these food supplies are being distributed by the Norwegian Refugee Council which deals directly with the IDPS in Borno. The ICRC has made the highest humanitarian intervention in Borno but we don't even know how much they have spent, they have their men on ground who deal directly with the IDPS across Borno State" he said.

He noted that "the World Food Programme also makes intervention of food and recently they are doing conditional cash transfers and that also is handled by officials of the World Food Programme.  If there is one organization that has given us any cash donation outside the N345m for IDPS, it was the Dangote Foundation which gave Borno N400m but that wasn't for IDPS, it was an economic empowerment program for women which the Dangote Group launched in different States including Lagos,Kano, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa and Yobe States in which N10,000 each was given to about three or four hundred thousand women across these States I mentioned. The N2b Dangote announced in support of Borno two months ago, we requested that he doesn't give us cash but building materials worth the amount".

Shettima also said "as far as 2012, I foresaw eventual mischief on this issue of intervention on IDP'S, that was why we made it a policy of not dealing with cash but supplies and even on the supplies when the food is much,  in most cases, we insist that donors supervise the distribution of their donations to the IDPS, this was exactly what we did with the 104 trailers of food donated  by Dangote Foundation for the Ramadan feeding for IDPS. Officials of Dangote led the entire distribution.  So, I really don't know where this issue of Borno collecting Billions for the purpose of IDPS came from, the Borno State Government has been the one bearing the major brunt of managing these over two million IDPs throughout the Jonathan era. We have spent Billions of our resources not only in feeding IDPS but also in reconstruction of many communities from 2011 to date and yet we manage to pay salary of N2.6b to our workers by 26th of every month without failing for once. We have paid salaries of June last week. I think people should be fair to us. We are not angels, we have our short comings as humans but we do our best most of the time to meet the needs of our citizens".

The Governor said ‎"a political group in Borno has since hijacked the issue of IDPS, the group was no where when we were in crisis and taking care of these IDPS, now that peace is emerging, politics has set in,  they send all kinds of information with misleading figures and pictures, the media should try to separate facts from fiction by simply seeking clarification from us on issues that affect us. I am not a fighter by my nature but Allah has blessed me with the capacity to resist pressures. Challenges don't distract or slow me down, they inspire me,they make more focused. I have been following all the mischief. The social media doesn't bother me at all. The only comment that surprised me was one that kept being repeated on the Television by a particular TV station based in Lagos. There is a program they call Journalists Hang Out, in which some senior journalists that ought to simply assign their reporters in Borno to get them facts or reach my media aides or even me directly for clarifications, who chose to be making serious and libelous allegations on live TV saying Borno State has received hundreds of Billions of naira as cash donations to take care of IDPS and that the funds were diverted and IDPS were left dying of hunger. Unfortunately, other media houses seem to have bought into that misleading information since the unfortunate case of malnutrition came out of Bama which by the way, we brought it to public knowledge after I ordered the evacuation of over 1000 malnurished children and adults before and during my visit to the Bama IDP camp on 15th of June which was before the statement by the MSF" he said.

PHOTOS: Governor Kashim Shettima with the malnourished children evacuated from Bama town for special care centre in Maiduguri.

 PHOTOS: Governor Kashim Shettima with the malnourished children evacuated from Bama town for special care centre in Maiduguri. - Kolade Oludare

 

 

 

SHETTIMA: NGO'S SMILING TO BANKS ON AGONY OF BORNO DISPLACED PERSONS' ‎ ... Says MSF failed to give proper account on malnutrition statement

Photo: Left to Right: Director, USAID, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Permanent Secretary, State House, UNICEF country representative, Health Minister and Governor Kashim Shettima at a High Level Emergency Roundtable on the Humanitarian Crisis in Borno State which held Monday in Abuja.


 

SHETTIMA: NGO'S SMILING TO BANKS ON AGONY  OF BORNO DISPLACED PERSONS' ‎ ... Says MSF failed to give proper account on malnutrition statement

 

Some Non-governmental Organizations are taking huge advantage of the pains of internally displaced persons in Borno State and defrauding foreign philanthropists under the pretense of trying to help victims of the Boko Haram insurgency, Governor Kashim Shettima has said. 

Shettima spoke on Monday when he delivered a keynote address at a High Level Emergency Roundtable on the Humanitarian Crisis in Borno State which was held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja with the attendance of Nigeria's Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole, Permanent Secretary of the State House (the Presidency), Heads of different organs of the United Nations and Donor Agencies including the European Union, the United States Agency for International Development, the British Department for International Development and other actors. The meeting was convened by Dr. Ayoade Olatunbosun - Alakija, CEO of AOA Global, a humanitarian outfit working with the Borno State Government. 

The Borno Governor spoke in support of disclosure by the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mohammed Elmunir Safieldin who said at the meeting that 'most of the pictures of critically malnurished infants, children and some adults in circulation all over the social media since last week were those of victims recently rescued by the armed forces from the hands of Boko Haram fighters who held them hostage for years". 

Shettima said some NGO'S go in search of such victims and take their photographs which they share to the world targeting unsuspecting philanthropists to part with funds for the purpose of helping the displayed victims while the fund end up in private pockets. 

"I need to open up here by saying that in the midst of credible organizations trying to help us in Borno, we have seen occasional instances of some 'business groups' masquerading as NGOs smiling to the Bank on the agony of our people. I do not mean to disrespect any sincere NGO but there are those I have seen, whose only interest is to go round thousands of IDPS and figure out sick and skinny looking infants, pose for the cameras with them and upload on the social media mainly to attract funding from concerned philanthropists abroad. I have seen one example where someone I wouldn't mention simply sent out horrible pictures of malnurished infants with a caption, DONATE. I think these children, bad as their situation might be, deserve to be respected no matter how much we want to help. We must respect the dignity of post conflict victims as much we desire to be respected as humans" the Governor said. 

The Governor also spoke about a statement issued by the Médecins Sans Frontières otherwise called Doctors Without Borders, who said there was acute malnutrition at the IDP camp in Bama with large of scale of hundreds of deaths mostly of children. 

Shettima said the MSF didn't put their statement in a proper context, a situation he said wasn't quite helpful. 

"Yes, the situation is almost overwhelming, the challenges frightening, but we are doing our best to confront them. It is common knowledge to this audience that the operation and management of Internally Displaced Persons camps are historically replete with a litany of problems. Even camps located in advanced countries like the Calais Jungle in France or more professionally managed ones like the Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya are not without their  bouquet of challenges. 

It is against this backdrop that I would like to admonish us to exercise some degree of caution and restrain as we strive to bring the myriad of problems associated with the management of a humanitarian crisis of the scale existing in Borno Sate in particular and the North East in general to an end. For example, the slant of the news report carried by some sections of the International media on the admittedly dire situation in Bama attributed to the Médecins Sans Frontières was, to say the least, rather unhelpful. While we do not deny that the challenges the report tried to convey do exist, sufficient justice was not done to the fact that the Borno State Government,a few reputable NGOs,domestic and International and of course,the U.N.Institutions are doing all we could within the limits of our resources to frontally address them. 

It is pertinent to mention that the MSF Statement issued last week completely ignored the fact that interventions were already being made to address the unfortunate cases of malnutrition at the Bama IDP Camp.As at the time the Statement was issued,over 100 Children were hospitalized out of over 1000 malnourished Children and adults evacuated from Bama and placed under special care in Maiduguri.We constituted a Team that successfully evacuated 478 Children and 219 adults on Monday,the 13th of June,2016 and all of them were immediately taken to a Special Care Unit and 61 Children hospitalized.The following morning,Tuesday,the 14th of June,I was at the Care Unit and the next day,Wednesday,the 15th of June,we summoned all the Stakeholders from Bama,including the Shehu of Bama,for a meeting at the Government House which I chaired and from that meeting we all moved to Bama with dozens of Buses.We went with Officials from Dangote Foundation and IOM,a UNITED NATIONS outfit.Alongside the Shehu,we went round the Camp and 600 additional Adults and Children were certified malnourished and evacuated to Maiduguri.All of these took place before the MSF Statement.Even before my visit to Bama on 15th June,2016,I was there on 5th April,2016,together with Toby Lanzer,United Nations Assistant Secretary General & Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel.I think if this background had been given,the situation would have been put in a proper context without interfering with the Objective of that Statement by the MSF" the Governor also said.

The meeting dissolved into a technical session with the Federal Government promising an immediate health response in Borno State as announced by the Health Minister. The technical session is expected to develop an action plan with the collaboration of all stakeholders for immediate joint implementation with the Federal Government expected to take the lead.  

 

 

PICTURES: Florence Esu's Expensive Birthday Bash...

 Florence Esu, formal Queen of Aso celebrates her birthday with friends recently in Abuja.

Pictures after the cut...

Florence Esu