Travails of IDPs in Yobe

The three major problems confronting government recognized IDPs camps in Nigeria include one, welfare: Displaced persons are finding it difficult to regain pre-conflict way of living because of the poor living condition. Secondly is security: Yet to recover from psychological trauma from loss of families, friends and properties, displaced persons are faced with security challenge […]

The three major problems confronting government recognized IDPs camps in Nigeria include one, welfare: Displaced persons are finding it difficult to regain pre-conflict way of living because of the poor living condition. Secondly is security: Yet to recover from psychological trauma from loss of families, friends and properties, displaced persons are faced with security challenge coupled with a responsibility to protect themselves in their various camps. The third problem is Rehabilitation: Hosting IDPs in camps without solid rehabilitation plans makes them vulnerable to crime in a bid to survive. Members of IDP camps must be kept busy psychologically and rehabilitated economically to help them recover from the scourge of conflict.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in May, 2015, directed the Nigerian security forces to end the Boko Haram insurgency within three months and to pave way for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) return to their communities.
The presidential order was apt and the results momentous.  By the end of December 2015, the insurgents were dissipated and in the last two months, their operational capacity crippled.
Following the successes recorded in the fight against insurgency, the federal government directed ministries of Defense and Interior to consolidate the gains by re-establishing civil authorities in the liberated communities, hence the constitution of inter- ministerial committee to assess the damage on infrastructures and areas that needed immediate intervention.
On the other hand, the Yobe state government constituted a resettlement committee under the chairmanship of the state Deputy Governor, Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, to facilitate the resettlement and rehabilitation of the displaced persons as peace and security returns to the affected communities.
Therefore, the IDPs from Wagir, Nyakire, Mutai, Buni Gari, Gujba, katarko, Garin itace, Goniri, Bultum Kura, and Katarko villages, voluntarily relocated to their communities without waiting for official announcement from the authorities.
Expectedly, the rush back to the communities in Yobe was however greeted with a new challenge of water scarcity and food shortages.
Boreholes, which were hitherto serving the people with water were vandalized during the Boko Haram occupation, while cement wells that were supplementing the boreholes were use as graves by the terrorists, who filled them with corpses of villagers.
Similarly, the insurgents had looted food stuff and set ablaze storage facilities left behind by the people in the wake of attacks on their communities. The situation was further compounded by the three years non farming activities by the IDPs.
These was the scenario at the time the IDPs went back home, prompting many of them to start contemplating going back to the camps in Damaturu.
However, in response to the emerging challenges, the Yobe state government constituted a technical committee and released the sum of N20 million for immediate rehabilitation of boreholes vandalized by the insurgents in Gujba Local Government Area.
According to the Secretary of the Technical Committee, Mohammed Bukar, new generating sets were procured and installed, while accessories of others that were vandalized as well as new submersible pumps and solar panels were procured and installed.
During a recent visit by CSOs, it was discovered that 17 boreholes are fully functional in eight communities and the residents are getting portable water.
Similarly, the Abubakar D. Aliyu led resettlement committee through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in company of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Red Cross last week brought food and materials to each of the two communities of Katarko and Gujba. This marks the first distribution of assistance to IDPs in the liberated communities.
However, based on the fact that we raised fears that it will take some time, at least a complete farming season for the returned IDPs to cater for themselves, Jidawa assured that government will continue to support the returnees with both short and long term interventions to facilitate their rehabilitation process.
It’s equally worthy of note that humanitarian agencies, including SEMA, NEMA, Red Cross, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA), World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, Action Against Hunger among others have constituted a forum to coordinate areas of intervention to avoid over lapping and duplication as the IDPs return back to the communities.
The SEMA Executive Secretary who is also chairman of the forum said with attention gradually shifting to resettlement and rehabilitation of the IDPs, the forum will assist the actors to coordinate areas of intervention, avoid duplication and, to see themselves as partners and not competitors in emergency response and service delivery.
There is no doubt that the  challenge is enormous which requires assistance from the federal government, agencies and non-governmental organizations to give the state and its people a helping hand in the resettlement and rehabilitation process of the displaced persons.
Such service to humanity will also avoid exposing the victims to be vulnerable and soft targets of employment for nefarious vices like armed robbery and the Boko Haram.
It is a collective responsibility for governments at all levels, international communities, corporate organizations and philanthropists  to complement the efforts of the state government to give the people a sense of belonging, restore their dignity by healing their wounds and make life meaningful for a prosperous future.
Mamman, a civil society activist, wrote this piece from Damaturu, Yobe State. He can be reached at [email protected]