Let’s start giving
Even if you have not seen the notice, it is still not too late to mark the day Thursday 27, August 2015, in your digital diary. For that is the day the Daily Trust is inviting all of us to an Advocacy and Fund Raising for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East. The […]
Even if you have not seen the notice, it is still not too late to mark the day Thursday 27, August 2015, in your digital diary. For that is the day the Daily Trust is inviting all of us to an Advocacy and Fund Raising for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East. The venue is the ultra-modern Banquet Hall, NAF Conference Centre and Suites, along Ahmadu Bello Way, Kado, here in Abuja, under the Chairmanship of Jaiz Bank’s Alhaji Umaru Mutallab. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour. Other distinguished invitees include governors Kashim Shettima, Ibrahim Gaidam, and Jibrilla Bindow of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, respectively, clearly the most affected by Boko Haram’s mayhem and ungodly madness. Also expected are the governors of Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba states.
The timing of this funding raising is obviously in recognition of several crucial developments. The most obvious are the recent successes recorded by our troops in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents who appear to have been boxed-in, thanks to the vigour and political will of our leaders, the new changes in the command, equipment, logistics and doctrines, as well as the renewed support of our neighbours. In addition, we are all increasingly more aware of the scale of the devastation, misery and mindless mayhem visited on the affected communities. These developments make it incumbent upon us all to do what we can to assist because the resources required to resettle these IDPs, reconstruct their communities and give them back their lives are indeed quite enormous.
Some may still wonder why it is necessary to launch another fund-raising drive now. After all, the General T.Y. Danjuma led VSF Presidential Committee got donations and pledges worth N55.93 billion last August. Unfortunately, only N23.33 has been collected, with over N33.54 billion still to be redeemed, including N5 billion pledge by the Jonathan Administration. President Buhari recently ordered that this one year old commitment be honoured, and hopefully the money has now been released. As for the others, the Committee is threatening to “name and shame” them. Others have also pledge some assistance, notably the EU which has promised N4.7 billion for the victims of this insurgency. All these would hopefully go into a Trust Fund to be established soon.
However, the scale of the disaster makes these donations pitifully inadequate. We are talking of about 300,000 killed and hundreds of thousands more injured, maimed or incapacitated. Millions more are either orphaned or widowed. Over 1.4 million displaced in Nigeria alone, not to mention the 250,000 to 300,000 or so who have taken refuge in Chad, Northern Cameroon and South-Eastern Niger. Some 20 out of the 27 Local Government Areas of Borno were at one time under Boko Haram and have suffered massive devastation. Goza, Bama, Gamborun-Ngala and several others towns have been completely razed to the ground, along with hundreds of villages and hamlets, and would have to be rebuilt again. We have not even added the towns and villages of Yobe, Adamawa and others in the North East that have been destroyed by Shekau’s gang.
At another level, the Governments would have to provide/rebuild schools, clinics and hospitals, along with light, water supply, roads and bridges. Mines and unexploded devices have to be deactivated. Wells, often used as emergency mass-graves by Boko Haram, would have to be re-claimed or filled up. As for the people, food and some seed-money would have to be provided until they can restart their businesses and/or return to their farms. They would need next-year’s seeds, fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides, as well as new markets, storage facilities and rural transportation. Widows without bread winners, orphans who have lost both parents along with their brothers, sisters or close relatives, the thousands that have been traumatised, those that may be seeking revenge against returning Boko Haram child-fighters, are all part of the spectre that would haunt and challenge the governors, community leaders and others in the North East. The tasks are many, the time is short and the resources (especially the oil incomes) are inadequate, and even diminishing. Clearly, our compatriots in the North East need all our support.
The most pressing, as well as the one area we must emphasise to pay-back Boko Haram, is making sure that “boko” (or modern education) does not die in these states. A significant part of any assistance must be set aside for the revival of schools and for acquiring appropriate life-skills. We must not succumb to the blackmail of those who would want to take any part of our country back to darkness and underdevelopment. The kids in North East must be well equipped to thrive and compete in this age of knowledge.
And since Daily Trust is paying me to air my views, even when these views are not very palatable, let me offer my one critical observation on this outing; the fund-raising could be made more effective. First, however, let us admit that some of us are migrants (almost internally displaced) from an analogue world to this digital one. Our children are mostly “digital natives” so I was not surprised when one of them pointed out that she has not seen anything about making her contribution online, or at least via SMS. It would be great, she pointed out, if we have a portal to make contributions digitally, or arrange with MTN, GLO, Etisalat, and the others to deduct our widow’s mite when we load a recharge card, by a simple line of instruction. That way, even those who cannot make it to the venue, or whose transport, accommodation and feeding in Abuja may be more than they intend to donate, could then make their contribution from their homes, schools or working place. Despite that one shortcoming it feels good to be associated with people that take their social responsibility seriously. More media outfits, and the business community generally, should do more to raise awareness and raise funds for the IDPs.
Online or offline, give we must. Boko Haram insurgency already has caused a lot of death, destruction, and insecurity and has devastated human livelihoods over the past five or six years that we just have to take a stand. Time to stand up and be counted; not just because we would be helping others, but because, by so doing, we would also be helping ourselves as well. While hoping to see you at the venue, let me leave you with the words of the late Michael Jackson, in the song We Are The World; “Send them your heart, so they’ll know that someone cares, And their lives will be stronger and free.” The Chorus, as portent as ever, and a very apt ending, says it all.
“We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving.
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me.”