The federal government would soon kick-off the implementation of a comprehensive rebuilding plan for the North-east areas that were ravaged in recent years of terrorist-insurgency.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo stated this on Monday, in a meeting which dwelt on the plan and strategies towards its implementation.
Osinbajo said that “the plan is a very clear, we all know what direction we should be headed.”
The Ministers of Defence; Rtd. General Mansur Dan-Ali, Interior; Rtd General Abdulrahman Dambazau, the Minister of State for Budget & National Planning, Zainab Ahmed and the Minister of State for Power, Works & Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Governor of Borno State and Service Chiefs attended the meeting.
Other top government functionaries included the Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari, the National Security Adviser to the President Rtd. General Baba Munguno, as well as military, police and civil defence chiefs, and the Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA.)
A statement from the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, office of the Vice-President, said “while the whole region is intended to be covered eventually, the plan opens with Bama Local Government including several towns in an initiative that would lead to the construction of 3000 new homes, 10 police stations, 18 primary and secondary schools, health centers, creation of Special Bama Squad for security and the recruitment of 1500 local hunters as Agro Rangers, among others.”
According to Akande, “under what has been termed as the Bama Initiative, the Federal Government will contribute 67% of the funding, while Borno State would provide the balance 33%.”
Under the Bama Initiative, covering towns such Bama, Banki, Gulumba Gara and others, the Federal Government in partnership with the Borno State government is expected to carry out actual re-construction of houses for the return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as provide infrastructure such as roads for Bama town and adjoining communities.
The Initiative will also see to the kitting and deployment of thousands of police officers and officers of the National Security, Civil Defence Corps who are expected to be trained for the special task.
Equally, 20 doctors, 100 nurses and other relevant health officers are to be recruited to provide essential health services for the town, in addition to employment of teachers who will be deployed to 18 new schools to be constructed in the areas.
Road re-construction projects are also featured under the Bama Initiative which is now under exploration, including the re-habilitation of Maiduguri-Bama-Daral Jamal-Banki road network.
The welfare of returnees is also a major priority of the plan, ensuring a comprehensive support programme for IDPs as they return. It is expected that the implementation of the plan will kick-off in weeks.
Speaking with State House Correspondents after the meeting, Governor Kashim of Borno State said the partnership between the federal government and the his state in the Bama Initiative was “certainly going to work.”
He said the meeting was an exploratory meeting to exchange ideas on the rebuilding of the north east.
He said the initiative “is about restoring the dignity of our people, about rebuilding lives, infrastructure, homes, clinics. It is about giving hope to the hopeless.”
On reported bombings in Borno State, he said: “If you juxtapose the state of affairs two years ago with the current state of affairs, there is cause for celebration. To me, personally, even this suicide bombing is a sign of weakness on the part of the boko haram rather than strength. Two years ago, they holding on to 22 out of 27 LGs. They have been sufficiently decimated.”
