The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has commended the Federal Government for resettling over 80,000 persons displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency back to their ancestral homes following the restoration of peace to some troubled communities in the state through the Victims Support Fund. This was revealed in a statement issued on Saturday.
The state’s Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Mustapha Gubio, who represented the governor made the commendation at the Tuesday commissioning of the completed perimeter fencing, housing, the Askira Uba police station and the police barracks constructed through intervention from the fund.
Through the VSF intervention, the police barracks and station in Askira Uba, destroyed by insurgents, were reconstructed.
The Chairman of the VSF and former Chief of Army Staff, Theophilus Danjuma, represented by the VSF Executive Director, Nana Tanko, at the occasion, reiterated the commitment of the VSF to supporting victims of terrorism and insurgency in accordance with the mandate of the Fund.
She stated that Danjuma, in line with his concern for the security of victims of insurgency and the welfare of the security forces, approved the rebuilding of the perimeter fence of the Askira Police Station and Police Barracks in Askira, Borno State.
She urged the beneficiaries of the intervention, which is the Nigeria police, to put the facility in proper use to improve their security operations in safeguarding the lives of residents of Askira Uba.
She explained that the mission of the VSF is to help people after the insurgency to rebuild lives and help in the early recovery of victims, adding, “That is why in the past, we have built several primary schools, supported children to go back to school, trained teachers to make sure that children are well taught, empowered women to rebuild their lives and supported farmers to go back to their farms in Askira.”
But commending the VSF over their post-insurgency recovery efforts, the commissioner, Gubio, said the VSF had supported the relocation of over 80,000 people to their ancestral homelands in 13 Local Government Areas of the state, noting that the action had helped in no small measure in ensuring that distressed communities are resettled.
“It is, therefore, safe to say that the VSF remains one of our earliest collaborators and strongest allies supporting our recovery drive and we remain very appreciative of the collaborative efforts,” Gubio added.
