The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Musa Jidawa

  • Rape in Yobe IDP camp is false – SEMA

    Rape in Yobe IDP camp is false – SEMA

    Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on Saturday refuted media reports alleging rape of some of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camped in Damaturu.

    “The report is misleading, lacking substance and without any iota of truth,” Musa Jidawa, SEMA’s  Permanent Secretary said in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu.

    According to him, the agency has provided adequate security at the government run camp in Pompomari to guard against such cases.

    He added that community leaders in other camps located in Kukareta, Kasaisa, Mohammed Gombe farm and YBC Abare have developed a very effective security network to protect the inmates of all abuses including rape.

    Jidawa who is also the chairman security and protection sector of humanitarian agencies in the state, noted that the media report had claimed that 30 rape cases were recorded, “yet no local or international humanitarian agency in the state came across any.”

    The official cautioned agencies and organizations operating outside the state from accepting unverified reports, saying it was important to cross check with stakeholders operating on ground.

    “It is very worrisome for any credible organization to dish out sensitive information without corroborating or verification from organizations who are on ground” Jidawa said.

  • Yobe, World Bank, others support IDPs with farm inputs for economic recovery

    Yobe, World Bank, others support IDPs with farm inputs for economic recovery

    Yobe Government in collaboration with the World Bank and humanitarian agencies had supported returnee displaced persons and those still in camp with farm inputs to enable them to engage in agricultural activities toward economic recovery.

    Alhaji Musa Jidawa, Permanent Secretary, Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Sunday.

    Jidawa said the state government had provided 300 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with farmlands, tractors seeds and fertilisers.

    He said the UNDP in collaboration with Japanese Government, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the Victims Support Fund (VSF) had also supported the IDPs with cash, improved seeds, fertilisers and livestock.

    The World Bank Fadama lll Additional Financing ll project on its part, has supported vulnerable persons and IDPs with agricultural inputs, livestock, poultry and inputs for fish farming under the North- East food security and livelihood support project.

    Alhaji Musa Garba, the State Project Coordinator, Fadama lll AF ll, said the Yobe Government had paid N20 million counterpart fund for the project with 5,000 households expected to benefit from the programme.

    Garba said over 2,000 vulnerable households from Gujba, Gulani, Nangere, Bade, Jakusko,Yunusari, Giedam and Potiskum local government areas had already benefitted from the projects.

    “Those in irrigation farming were provided with water pump machines, sprayers, fertilisers and herbicides, we also supported poultry farmers with birds and feeds.

    “The livestock beneficiaries were supported with a set of three She-goats and one He-goat or, three sheep and two rams per household.

    “It is very encouraging that the poultry farmers have started selling eggs to improve their economy, while the goats have started multiplying,” he said.

    The project coordinator said foodstuff such as rice, beans, maize and vegetable oil were also provided to the benefitting households to protect the water pumps, birds and the livestock from being sold off.

    Malam Wakil Kaigama, a farmer in Bumsa village, said, “I have expanded my rice farm and established a banana plantation with support from Fadama lll AF ll.

    “Each of the 20 Fadama lll beneficiaries in this village received a water pump machine, seeds, sprayers, herbicides and pesticides,’’ Kaigama said.

    Abdu Liman, a poultry farmer in Buni-Gari, said he was supported with 40 hybrid poultry layers.
    “My family members now eat eggs daily, and we also sell a cartoon of eggs every day,” Liman said.

  • IDPs: Yobe plans effective post-crisis reconstruction

    The Yobe Government on Wednesday said it had mapped out areas of focus for effective post-conflict recovery and reconstruction of persons displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency and their communities.

    Alhaji Musa Jidawa, the Secretary, State Committee on Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu.

    Jidawa said the recovery plan would focus on provision of food and non-food items, water and sanitation, shelter, health, education and protection of IDPs.

    Jidawa, who is also the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said the recovery plan was developed at a retreat organised by the state government for stakeholders of humanitarian services in the state.

    “The recovery plan includes restoration of means of livelihood through agriculture by providing facilities and skill acquisition,” he said.

    He said the retreat recommended “identifying the root cause of the crisis and addressing same as part of the recovery plan and establishment of trauma centre to address psycho-social and mental health problems among displaced persons”.

    According to him, stakeholders in humanitarian services operating in the state have advised government to prioritise the recovery projects in accordance with peculiarities of the returnee communities.

    “The stakeholders unanimously recommended extension of the gesture to host communities where IDPs reside, having over-stretched the existing facilities before returning to their communities,” the secretary said.

    Stakeholders that attended the retreat include; Dr Mariam Masha, representative of the Vice President, Alhaji Tujjani Tumsah, Vice Chairman, Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative (PCNI), Alhaji Sani Sidi, Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Prof. Sunday Ocheche, Executive Director Victims Support Fund (VSF).

    Others were; United Nations Agencies, National Commission on Refugees Migration and IDPs, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi and Taraba State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) and local and International Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

     

  • Presidential Committee rehabilitates 19 police stations in Yobe

    The Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative (PCNI) on Wednesday said it had rehabilitated 19 police stations destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgents in Yobe.

    Alhaji Tijjani Tumsah, the Vice President of the committee, disclosed this in Potiskum while handing over one of the rehabilitated police stations to the Yobe Police Command.

    Tumsah said the committee had accorded priority to the reconstruction of police stations to restore civil authority in the state.

    “Police stations in Yobe were among the worst hit public structure during the insurgency.

    “The rehabilitation of these stations will improve maintenance of law and order in the society,” he said.

    The vice chairman assured that the committee would assist in reconstructing and fencing police barracks in the state to enhance security.

    “We will continue to encourage you to restore peace and normalcy in the state,” Tumsah said.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Abdulmaliki Sunmonu, said the reconstruction of the 19 police stations would improve policing in the state.

    Alhaji Musa Jidawa, Secretary of the State Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Committee, also said that the reconstruction of the structures would facilitate the resettlement of communities affected by the insurgency.