Sam Kaye
Governor Babagana Zulum has said that he still distributes palliatives to his people to avoid food insecurity in the insurgency traumatized state.
To Zulum, the most dangerous form of insecurity that can afflict a state or a country is food insecurity which can only be sorted in a non kinetic way.
He said that for as long as the people lack food, they will not be able to withstand the future and that should worry him as the Chief security officer of the state.
He said this while in Nganzai over the weekend where he went to share palliatives for residents of the council area.
Zulum regretted that those who were criticizing him as being excessive on pumping of palliatives to residents do not understand the magnitude of the problem which can only by sorted in the non kinetic way which he should be concerned about.
“We came to Nganzai because there was drought last year which affected food production so we had to come support them with foodstuffs to assist them in the transition to medium and long term status of food sufficiency.
” Note that the quantum of humanitarian support now compared to what obtained in 2019 has reduced by 50%. We have stopped going to many areas as they begin to thrive in farming. I can tell you that Damasak for instance is out of those who still receive anything. For Bama its just once in a year we go there now.”
The Governor maintained that key council areas in southern Borno such as Biu, Bayo, Shanni, Askira, Kwaya kusa and Chibok are not receiving any support except for
Damboa and Gwoza which were badly displaced by the insurgents.
As for Kala Balge, Dikwa, Mafa, the Governor told newsmen that palliatives has been drastically reduced especially food items which used to get to the people more than once in a year.
“As i said we are doing this because food insecurity is the worse form of insecurity that can afflict any nation. We are not necessarily trying to create dependency. Because you have seen what we have started in agriculture sector to boast food production.
” We are in Gajiram because it has a semblance of peace. Now the raining season is approaching, we need to support them to have the strength to go to their farms. That is what this is about. ” said Zulum.
On quailer birds attack on farmlands, the Governor posited that the birds were thriving because of the non existence of humans in the surrounding savanna adding that “this is what has resulted in the emergence of such quantum of pests but we will deploy aerospace technology to kill the birds.” said Zulum.
Zulum, said that his administration’s frequent distribution of food palliatives was necessary to strike a balance between addressing the immediate needs of the people affected by Boko Haram insurgency and laying the groundwork for a lasting change.
The Governor over the weekend at Nganzai noted that while food palliatives were distributed to vulnerable people mostly affected by the decade long crisis, remarkable development has been achieved in most of the critical sectors such as healthcare, education, security and infrastructure in Borno State.
He emphasized that the frequent palliative distribution was aimed at salvaging communities whose sources of livelihood were completely destroyed by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents.
He emphasized the need to establish a sustainable foundation for long-term development rather than relying on short-term solutions like palliative distribution.
The Governor supervised the distribution of food and non-food items and N25m cash to over 25,000 families comprising 10,000 males and 15,000 females.
Each of the male heads of the households received a bag of rice and maize, while about 15,000 families each received one wrapper and N5,000 cash.
Some critics recently questioned the governor’s continuous distribution of palliatives to the residents of Borno instead of setting up livelihood projects tailored at teaching them how to fish.
They wondered why the governor spent so much time in giving them certain non food items like clothes which the residents sell almost immediately for money.
As a matter of fact, most of the residents who receive these food palliatives sell same consistently especially the blankets given to them by non governmental actors to buy non essentials like perfumes and creams which are not primary needs to internally displaced people who are confined to one place in their council areas as they continue to wait until the day they will be free to move beyond their security demarcations of five kilometers to their real ancestral homes which they cannot access for now.
IDPs shipped out of Maiduguri to their council head quarters like Gamboru Ngala cannot go beyond five kilometers of radius given to them by the military.
Violations of such directives used to result in abduction as it happened in Gamboru Ngala recently when over 200 of them mostly women and children in search of firewood were picked by the insurgents who still dominate a large chunk of the savanna in Northern Borno.