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Tag: SEMA

  • IDPs camps: Borno police deploys female police to camps

    IDPs camps: Borno police deploys female police to camps

    …NEMA/SEMA questions veracity of allegation

     

    Following allegations of sexual assault on female IDPs in Maiduguri at IDPs camps, Borno State Police command has set up an eight man committee headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police CID in the State to carryout investigations into any unscrupulous activities of any camp officials relating to sexual assault and other forms of molestation at the camp.

    The State Police Commissioner Damian Chukwu who spoke exclusively with The Nation in Maiduguri also informed that he has ordered the withdrawal of  all male police personal operating  inside the camps and replaced them with their female colleagues for the internal security of the IDPs in all  the camps in the metropolis.

    According to the him, the objective of his plan is to forestall any reports of security operatives molesting the female IDPs at the camps, adding that, “the measure will equally  allow the women to open up to their female counterpart on any form of molestation that they could have been experiencing in the camps over the years”.

    CP Chukwu however regretted that the women are not cooperating with the committee that he has set up to investigate the cases of abuse in the camps.

    “I have set up an eight man committee headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police CID with two senior female officers. Since that time, they have started some investigation. The personal police in the camps have been changed to women only but  response of the women is not encouraging at all. We even have reports of those abuses taken place within the camps.

    “Initially, we had men. I had to send out the men and bring in the women into the camps. The whole idea is that going by the culture of the people; they will feel freer to talk to the women when they have cases of sexual abuse. I believe that with women, they will feel free to complain about anything that has happened to them.

    “With the new arrangement, the women police do the internal security coverage of the camps while the men do the external and territorial coverage of the camps in Maiduguri. The panel is using these women in the camps to interview women in the camps for the things that have happened to them in the past like last year or even last month or three, six months ago. Again with women in the camp, that tendencies of what they say was happening will no longer be there because women cannot assault women sexually so we have moved the men away from inside the camp. I must say that the police took these measures not because the police are culprit but because we want to sanitize the system.

    “As a matter of fact, since I came here three months ago, I have not received any of such allegations but even the ones that we have received are on mutual ground. I must also say that some of these allegations that are being taunted don’t even happen in the camps if at all they exist because the women go outside the camps to meet people and no one has control over them when they are outside the camps,” CP Chukwu explained.

    Also speaking on the issue, the North East Zonal Coordinator of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Alhaji  Mohammed Kannar informed that both  NEMA and Borno State Government have never received any official complain of sexual assault as alleged by the Human Right Watch.

    Alhaji Kannar explained that out of the 50 humanitarian partners working at the IDPs camps in the state, 30 of them are working tirelessly to see that the rights of the IDPs are protected to the latter.

    He said; “We have about five or six sectors that are working. We have education, health, food and security, protection, wash, and psycho-social. All these sectors are working round the clock to make the camps and the host communities safe. In case of sexual violence or abuse, the protection sector works hard to see that issues of such harassment are being taken care of.

    “Actually, when we heard the allegations, the sectors responsible is trying to find out what really happened because, we have not received any official report from any IDP or group of individuals at the camp but that does not mean that these things don’t happen because sexual issues is an issue that has to be carefully handled. An individual maybe sexually harassed but he may not come out to report to the appropriate authorities to take care of the matter. However, one cannot run away from that fact.

    “What we are saying is that we did not receive any report of any kind from such anybody in the camp. We are working with 50 humanitarian partners. Out of that number, 30 are working on that sector to see IDPs are being protected. When we receive allegation like this, we refer them to Federation of Women Lawyers, Human Right Commission, Police and other NGOs that have experts in this sector and these people ensure that the right of such individual is protected.

    “There are so many issues but some have to be settled within the camps. We have our level of settling them at the community levels considering where they come from. One has to consider that these people come from villages and communities and they have certain practices among them. When these kinds of things arise among them, we follow the traditional institutions within their communities to resolve such case. However, we have not had any case of direct harassment by any camp official. It’s unfortunate that We had a similar allegation some time ago and a committee was set up but nothing was discovered and the same thing is happening again. I am sure that world will know the truth by the time the Presidential Committee on the investigation of this matter is finally out and presented to the president,” Kannar said.

    The Chairman Borno state Emergency Management Agency, Engr. Satomi Ahemed questioned the authenticity of the allegation from the human right watch on abuse of female IDPs.

    He challenged the agency to come clean with the facts, stressing that those allegation are untrue and if at all they exit, they did not happen at any IDP camp in Borno State.

    Meanwhile, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has earlier  reveal plans to enlist the services of undercover female police officers, Department of State Security and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons,(NAPTIP)  the National Drug Law  Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to uncover the veracity of report of sexual abuse on women in IDPs’ camps in the state.

    Gov. Shettima who spoke in Maiduguri while receiving a  delegation from the National University Commission   on tour of  ongoing infrastructure at the proposed Borno State University held at the Government  House in Maiduguri  expressed his concern over the report.

    His words:  ‎”Today, as Governor of Borno State, there is no issue that gives me headache like the unfortunate bye-products of IDP camps. Our citizens were violently sent out of their houses and communities, it is their fundamental rights to be provided alternative accommodation with their food and health cater for. Sadly and very sadly indeed, the IDP camps have become avenues that horrible stories of sexual slavery, prostitution rings, drug peddling and other social vices are emanating from.

    “Only yesterday (Monday) there was a report by a Human Rights group alleging incidences of sexual abuses by some Federal and State workers in some of the IDP camps. This is highly condemnable. Apart from investigating these claims and arresting culprits which is absolutely necessary, I am going to write letters to the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the DSS, the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency and may be the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, requesting all of them to deploy female and male undercover detectives to all our camps to permanently spy on anyone involved in sexual harassment, any form of prostitution, drugs trafficking, possible child trafficking and even the allegations of diversion of food items meant for IDP’s.

    “I would want these detectives to report their findings to their security establishments and whoever is found wanting should be picked up without notifying me so long as there is verifiable evidence to prosecute him or her,” Shettima said.

    Gov. Shettima who also appreciates that the present condition of the displaced people especially women can lead them to indulging in illicit activities however vowed that sanity must be injected in the system despite the circumstances.

    He said: “ Ladies and gentlemen, I am tired of applying the element of persuasion in handling the issues of IDP’s, we need to wield the big stick. The problem with managing the IDP camp is that you are dealing with a population of two or more local government areas in one location and you cannot imprison them by restricting or stopping them from leaving the IDP camp in the day time.

    “When a female IDP leaves the camp in the morning, you cannot be in control of where she goes and who she sees. If she leaves the camp and returns the following day, she may claim to have visited a family member and little can be done. I strongly believe there are cases of sexual harassment but some of the women may be consenting to sexual advances largely due to extreme poverty and loss of value system.

    “We have to instill sanity into the IDP camps and I hope we will not end up having human rights activists telling us we cannot deploy undercover detectives into IDP camps due to one form of rights violation or the other. Desperate situations call for desperate measures. Sexual harassment of female IDPs is a desperate situation.

    “None of us here is beyond becoming an IDP if Allah decrees and none of us would fold arms if his or her daughter is in position to be sexually harassed, so we must act now” , Gov. Shettima vows

    Shettima regretted how Boko Haram has painted Borno negatively as oppose to the peaceful nature of the people.

    “The Borno Story that has been painted very badly by the Boko Haram. We are even tired of counting the number of deaths, number of those of injured, value of private institutions and private property destroyed and the huge number of persons internally displaced”,  the Governor said.

     

  • Canoe mishap: Jigawa distributes life jacket to canoe operators

    Canoe mishap: Jigawa distributes life jacket to canoe operators

    The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) disbursed 300 pieces of life Jackets to canoe operators along the riverine communities  in the state.

    Distributing the life Jackets in Dorawa river crossing points in Jahun Local Government Area,  Executive Secretary of SEMA, Alhaji Sani Yusuf Babura said the Jackets cost the state government over N2,5 million.

    The executive secretary explained that there are 300 pieces of life jackets, out of 50 were for children.

    Alhaji Sani Yusuf Babura stated that the present governor Badaru Abubakar led administration made it compulsory to any canoe operator and all passengers on board most use the jacket, adding that “it is against the law to any operator to carry more than eight passengers per trip”.

    He maintained that a full passenger load per trip is supposed to be 10 persons, but reduced it to be eight in order to give space for those carrying load.

    According to him, the life Jackets were going to be distributed to 44 canoe operators, each would get eight pieces, said this is the first phase of the intervention programme and that the personal of the agency were in the field with a view to identify more river crossing points so that more of the life jackets would be distributed.

    He further stated that any canoe operator who refused to use or give his passengers the life jackets during crossing or traveling on water would be dealt with, saying a proposal had since been forwarded to the state House of Assembly for a legislature on possible law to take care of the violators.

    Babura stressed that each of the life jackets has the capacity  of keeping 200kiligram object afloat and that each of the jacket has a whistle and reflectors, saying in the night the reflectors would aid the rescue team to trace a victim while the whistle was expected to attract  the attention of the rescue team.

    “we have distributed 300 pieces of life jackets to 44 canoe operators. Each of the operator was given eight pieces of
    life jackets which is equivalent to a full passenger load of a canoe. It is now a law that no canoe operator would take more than eight passengers in a conoe while either crossing or travelling on the river in Jigawa state.” He said.

  • Yobe SEMA circumcises 60 IDP children

    Yobe SEMA circumcises 60 IDP children

    Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on Saturday organised a circumcision ceremony for boys aged from five years to 10 years at Pompomari Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Damaturu.

    The Executive Secretary of SEMA, Alhaji Musa Jidawa, said 60 boys were circumcised according to the tradition and custom of the people.

    “Circumcision of boys as we all know is the first initiation (rite) of the boy to manhood which is his right and we have just given them this right today,” Musa said.

    The secretary said some of the boys lost their parents to Boko Haram attacks on their villages, while others were with their parents in the camp.

    “The agency provided each of the circumcised boys with a blanket, a set of new clothes and a chicken as is done traditionally.

    “We have made adequate medical arrangements at the camp clinic to provide them with medical treatment and needs for speedy healing.

    “The agency in conjunction with the community leaders and parents agreed to circumcise them at this period of cold season because it heals faster,” Musa said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the displaced persons put behind their pains and celebrated the event with fanfare.

    The parents expressed appreciation for the circumcision of the chidden and said that it had given them a sense of belonging.

    Bulama Muhammadu, a community leader, said SEMA had always made the displaced persons feel at home.

    “Since we were admitted into this camp, SEMA has been very supportive, it has been further proved today that SEMA is making us feel at home away from home,’’ he said.

    Hauwa Goniri, a widow whose two children were circumcised, said SEMA took over the responsibility of her late husband, which was transferred to her after his death.

    Goniri said that they were highly grateful for the important event in the lives of the children.

  • Borno: SEMA trains displaced women on skills acquisition

    Borno: SEMA trains displaced women on skills acquisition

    The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Borno, said it had begun the training of 2,500 women displaced by insurgency in the state on various skills.

    Executive Chairman of the agency, Alhaji Satomi Ahmad, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri on Wednesday.

    Ahmad said that the beneficiaries were vulnerable groups, drawn from Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in 20 local government areas, who were currently taking refuge in the state capital.

    He said that the measure was to boost entrepreneurship skills of the women to enable them to generate income and carter for themselves and family when they returned to their communities.

    He explained that the training was geared toward impacting relevant knowledge and skills to boost the socio-economic activities in the state.

    “One of the cardinal policies of Gov. Kashim Shettima is youth empowerment, job creation and poverty reduction among the teeming population in Borno.

    “That is why we are showing great concern to empower the IDPs who have suffered great losses in their various communities.

    “At the end of the day, we want all the women to go back home with the skills acquired so that they could generate income, carter for themselves and engage in meaningful socio-economic activities,’’ Ahmad said.

    According to him, in the course of the four months training, the beneficiaries will be exposed to various skills, including tailoring, leather works, knitting, beads making and soap making.

    He added that some persons would also be trained on computer programs, GSM repairs and installation of satellite dish.

     

  • C’River seeks inclusion in FG’s list of flood prone states

    The Cross River Government has expressed dismay that it was not listed by the Federal Government among states likely to be affected by flood this year.

    Mr Vincent Aquah, the Director-General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), stated this in Calabar when leaders of Eja, a flood prone community from Obubra Local Government Area visited him.

    He said that the state government was also disturbed that in spite of experiences in 2012, it was not listed among states to be affected by the discharge of excess water from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.

    “It is disheartening that Cross River is not listed in the impending flood disaster. When it occurred in 2012 Cross River suffered grievously.

    “Nine local government areas with more than 212 communities lying along the coast lines of rivers traversing the state were flooded.

    “No fewer than 1,800 houses, 82,361 farms, 15 churches, 13 schools, and 18 markets were flooded.

    “The disaster resulted in the displacement of 49,918 persons; 34 suffered different degrees of injuries and 13 persons died.

    “One wonders why Cross River which is one of the end points of the Lagdo Dam discharge should be excluded in the list.’’

    The director-general expressed fears that by such action the state may not be assisted, should the impending disaster reaches level beyond the ability of the state to cope with.

    Aquah who noted that several communities in the state have begun experiencing flooding advised residents of such areas to be red alert and to do everything possible to mitigate such calamity.

    Aquah advised the Eja community to remain alert, adding that Gov. Ben Ayade’s administration would mobilise resources to ensure the completion of the relocation of the community to higher grounds.

    Eja village head, Chief Livinus Ekpe, said the visit was to inform the government of the flooding of the community and to appeal to government to expedite action on relocation project.

  • SEMA provides relief materials

    The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has provided relief materials for victims of Sunday’s morning flood at Wuro-Dole in Akko Local Government.

    The SEMA Relief and Rehabilitation Officer, Mohammed Garba, who presented the materials yesterday, said they were at the village the previous day to take stock of the damage and sympathise with the victims.

    He said the agency’s findings showed that the flood affected 46 houses.

    Garba, who spoke on behalf of the SEMA Executive Secretary, Dr. Danlami Arabs Rukujei, urged the people not to see the relief materials as compensating their losses, but an attempt to meet their needs.

  • SEMA distributes relief materials

    The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) yesterday distributed relief materials to the victims of a flood, which ravaged more than half of Ngelzarma community.

    SEMA’s Executive Secretary Idi Musa Jidawa, in an SMS to our correspondent, said the agency had loaded 100 bags of rice, 200 bags of maize, 200 cartons of Indomie Noodles, 300 pieces of wrappers, children’s wears, 100 bags of beans, 25 gallons of vegetable oil and 50 cartons of Cerelac for delivery to the victims.

    Thousands were displaced and millions of property destroyed at Ngelzarma and Jajere after a heavy rain on Monday night, which lasted seven hours.

    Although nobody died, the villages were submerged.

    Our correspondent learnt that most of the victims are taking refuge at a primary school.

  • Flood destroys two communities in Yobe

    Thousands of people have been displaced by heavy down pour in two communities in Yobe State.

    The heavy rain which started late on Monday night through the early hours of Tuesday sacked Ngelzarma and Jajare communities all in Fune Local Government area of Yobe State.

    According to reports, no life was lost in the two incidents but eyewitnesses informed that more than half of Ngelzarma community a village located on the Damaturu/Potiskum road less than 50km away from Damaturu was affected.

    The State Deputy Governor Engr. Abubakar Aliyu visited the people and sympathised with them over the disaster.

    He directed the ministry of works to take an accurate and professional assessment of the area so as to come up with a lasting solution to the problem.

    Engr. Aliyu also asked the State Emergency Management Agency to provide immediate palliative for the victims who are temporarily camped at the primary school in the community.

    The Executive Secretary of SEMA Idi Jidawa, told our correspondent on phone that he has already dispatched two teams to Ngelzarma and Jajare and that priority is currently on the provision of shelter for the displaced people.

    Jidawa also informed that “the flood in Jajare is so severe that my team to the area could not access the village from the route they followed. They will have to take another route tomorrow to access the village. From what I gathered, the entire village has been surrounded by water,” the SEMA boss said.

     

  • 500 displaced as windstorm ravages Cross River community

    Over 500 persons have been displaced in Mbarakom Village in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State as a result of windstorm that ravaged the area, according to a statement by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

    The statement signed by the Director of Information of the agency, Mr David Akate, made available to The Nation in Calabar Wednesday indicated that the windstorm destroyed about 100 residential and public buildings in Mbarakom.

    Also affected were facilities at the Wilmar Company Headquarters, where some buildings in the various camps and communication mast were destroyed, six-room block of the Government Primary School, was completely pulled down, and the community market.

    It read, “Though no life was lost, several persons who sustained injuries are receiving treatment in different clinics and herbal homes.”

    The Director General of SEMA, Mr. Vincent Aquah attributed the natural disaster to the global weather change and advised that measures be taken to avert the severity of future occurrences.

    Mr. Aquah who was represented by the Deputy Director, Relief, Mr. Andy Adeshi outlined some of the measures to include an aggressive planting of trees which would act as windbreakers and the maintenance of buildings as well as the construction of buildings according to government specifications.

    He sympathized with the victims and promised that government would do everything possible within the shortest possible time to alleviate their sufferings.

  • 25,000 IDPs live in Gombe, says SEMA

    About 25,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the Northeast are residing in Gombe State, with at least 15,000 of them living in the state capital.

    A permanent secretary in the state, who is also in charge of Administration and Finance of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajiya Laraba Kawu, gave the figure yesterday in Gombe, the state capital.

    She spoke after the kick-off of the distribution of food items and other materials worth millions of naira to 375 victims of insurgency displaced from their homes by the Presidential Committee on Disaster Victims Support Programme.

    Hajia Kawu, who represented Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo and SEMA, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for responding to the problems of the victims of insurgency in the Northeast.

    The permanent secretary urged the beneficiaries to use the items well.

    The materials were presented by National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA’s) Director-General Sani Sidi through the Head of Gombe Operations Office, Saidu Ahmed Minin, at Tudun Wada Primary School in the state capital.

    Sidi said the committee would impact on the lives of the IDPs, who fled their homes because of insurgency attacks.

    He assured the committee that NEMA, through collaboration with other relevant organisations, would always ensure that relief materials get to the IDPs.

    The Yerimah of Gombe, Abdulkadir Abubakar, hailed the Federal Government for forming the committee.

    Items distributed included 1,500 units of 25 kilogrammes of bags of rice, 25 kilogrammes of bags of beans, 10 litres of groundnut oil, palm oil, sanitary pads and blankets.

    Each IDP got four bags of 25 kilogrammes of rice, two bags of 25 kilogrammes of beans, two gallons of cooking (groundnut and palm) oil, some sanitary pads and blankets.