NEMA: In defense of Yobe govt

I find it most to contribute over the alleged issues of NEMA Director General Engr. Mustapha Maihaja claiming that Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Geidam was on the run to nail him for saying that the state had never received any relief contributions from NEMA since the assumption of Maihaja into office a year ago.  Everyone […]

I find it most to contribute over the alleged issues of NEMA Director General Engr. Mustapha Maihaja claiming that Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Geidam was on the run to nail him for saying that the state had never received any relief contributions from NEMA since the assumption of Maihaja into office a year ago. 

Everyone knows Yobe State has been majorly affected by insurgency, and therefore there are a lot of people needing the help of the government in all aspects of life. In that regard, NEMA has failed to assist Yobe in the past twelve months because the new DG was the opponent who lost to the incumbent governor in the All Progressive Congress (APC) primary election. 

Maihaja later challenged Geidam’s emergence in courts but suffered defeat. Since then he became a staunch adversary to Governor Geidam and his administration. On assumption into office as NEMA DG, Maihaja willingly failed to visit Yobe State and the governor on the basis of condolence, courtesy or distribution of relief materials. While in other states like Borno, Adamawa and Benue he had in one way or the other handed over relief materials or consulted the states on distribution process which is the due process.

Many people ignorantly challenged Governor Geidam on the issues with NEMA but the real fact is we are talking of the state government and the government as an institution has its own process and hierarchy. If Yobe state government didn’t receive any documents, relief materials or information from NEMA then it has not received anything. Maihaja himself was quoted in the public hearing saying the relief items meant for Yobe State were moved and distributed but couldn’t tell who the beneficiaries were, who took delivery and could not provide documents validating his claims.

So, what is wrong in Governor Geidam’s statement, if NEMA went ahead to distribute items by itself then Yobe state government was right it didn’t receive anything from NEMA. Otherwise if NEMA evidently handed over documents on this issue they should defend themselves. No government will accept such deception in any kind. 

Yahaya Abubakar Bakabe, Kampala, Uganda