Insurgency, humanitarian crises: Realities in the North-East (II)

An equally very critical advice is, the need for public support for the very good works by the soldiers and intelligence elements. The fleeing insurgents will definitely seek for hideouts in some villages, neighbourhoods and employments. Close monitoring and surveillance in areas assessed dangerous within and outside the North East is therefore advised. Other disturbing […]

An equally very critical advice is, the need for public support for the very good works by the soldiers and intelligence elements. The fleeing insurgents will definitely seek for hideouts in some villages, neighbourhoods and employments. Close monitoring and surveillance in areas assessed dangerous within and outside the North East is therefore advised. Other disturbing dimensions of this threat is, the reported plans by some of the insurgents to get recruited into some of the security agencies. It is advisable that, stringent vetting arrangements are put in place to frustrate such attempts. 

The citizenry, especially the wealthy and institutions, similarly should be cautious with those they employ as guards. On the whole, the president, security agencies and public-spirited individuals should be commended for the successes recorded in the ongoing counter-terrorism operations. This however is just an aspect of the war against the insurgency in the North East. This effort should be complemented with well-structured de-radicalization programme and addressing the factors that predispose youths to such extremism. There should also be well-measured anti-terrorism measures as the ongoing war cannot be won by only counterterrorism strategies. 

Caution should also be exercised in releasing some suspected insurgents purely on technical grounds. Proper profiling and de-radicalization to prevent rejoining of the group should be put in place.

Another area very critical in measuring the successes or otherwise of key actors and stakeholders in the North East are efforts so far made in addressing the destruction in the insurgency impacted areas. I want to say from the onset that, the president meant well by promising to rebuild the ravaged areas in the North East. However, despite this promise, the performance of some institutions, organizations and key office holders in this respect leaves much to be desired. This verdict is collaborated by the stark realities of the conditions in communities previously occupied by the insurgents and several reports of international donors, NGOs and humanitarian organizations, as well as the conditions in IDP Camps. 

There are reports that even the provision of basic relief material to some of the insurgency impacted communities is still inadequate, lopsided and fraught with dishonest practices. It is very disheartening that despite the intentions of the president, some areas are still not adequately provided for by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). These are the concerns being expressed by House of Representatives members. It is also not surprising that some elders in some insurgency-impacted communities lament that they only see the distribution of relief material on television and in newspapers. 

Worse still, the preoccupation with distributing relief materials instead of embarking on permanent solutions such as rebuilding places to stay for the liberated communities and IDPs. A change of strategy is therefore imperative.

The rebuilding of communities destroyed by the insurgents, especially schools, hospitals and other public institutions is an area requiring reconsideration. It is a known fact that several communities are yet to be touched in terms of rebuilding places to stay. As previously observed, the rebuilding of communities is just beyond the financial capacity of state governments in the North East. Federal Government agencies and institutions must therefore ensure the Presidential directives on the rebuilding of the North East are taken seriously. Everything should be done to provide even the cheapest shelter to poor people who have been exposed to the elements in the last four years. 

One would advise here that the government should have a strong inspection team to give it honest reports on the situation on the ground, as it is clear that the government is being fed with dubious and doubtful claims on the plight of the insurgency-impacted communities. In a time like this, the government needs very honest assessment and views on its efforts. The president and the government has a lot at stake that should not be sabotaged from within by dishonest interests. In this season of orchestrated subversive campaigns against the government, the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out, hence the need for close monitoring.

There are, still, hundreds of thousands of displaced people from the North East in IDP camps scattered across the country who have no hope of returning to their communities five years after they were forcefully displaced. If the truth has to be told, the situation the displaced people have found themselves in is only comparable to the refugee camps of similarly displaced Somalians in Kenya and Somalia. Presently the IDPs are at the mercy of kind-hearted individuals for sustenance. For many of them, their lives have been shattered and it is not their wish that they remain in IDP camps forever. 

The plight of the displaced people is further worsened by insecurity in their communities. For example, communities in the Ngoshe general area in Borno State particularly, Ahagara, Agapalawa, Aganjara, Zamga, Arboko, Villa and Bokko villages, among others, are at the moment deserted following series of attacks on them. There are also areas around Damboa and Askira Uba which have not been thoroughly cleared of the insurgents and their sympathizers. The armed forces should therefore be supported to systematically clear these communities to allow the displaced people return to their homes. Currently, many of the displaced people cannot return due to fear of mines, lack of shelter and potable drinking water. 

Agencies charged with the responsibilities of clearing such communities of the insurgents, rebuilding the communities and preparing for their safe return therefore need to be properly funded, tasked and given a time limit within which this should be achieved. 

The Federal Government also needs to know that the problems being faced by agencies established to cater for the rebuilding of the North East are, allegedly, financial constraints. These claims need to be looked into. Meanwhile, it is advisable that funds received from non-governmental and international donors are judiciously utilized for the purposes intended. This recommendation is in the light of observations that the work done are not commensurate to the amounts received. 

The image of the government will also be greatly helped if measures are put in place to monitor and account for the amounts provided for rebuilding the North East at all levels. Much more important is, of course, the take off of the North East Development Commission. One point that should be noted is, time is running out on plans to actualize the rebuilding of the region. Something accordingly urgent needs to be done.

(Concluded)

Gadzama, a former SSS Director-General, wrote from Abuja.