From. Sadiq Abubakar Maiduguri
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has charged the members of Yerwa Peace Housing Estate Allocation Committee YPHEAC to ensure justice is done to each beneficiary of the Internally Displaced Persons IDPs affected by the last year BOKO Haram insurgency at Bulabulin Nganaram demolished area of Maiduguri metropolis yesterday Thursday.
The governor also urged the committee members to repose the confidence people and government of Borno State has on them as men of integrity and prudent.
Governor Shettima dropped the charge yesterday at the Government House Council Chamber while inaugurating the Chairman and members of the newly constituted high powered standing committee on the allocation of the 432 units of two and single bedroom self contained flats imitated and constructed by Governor Kashim Shettima at the cost of N800,500 million, eight hundred million, five hundred thousand naira within 3 months at the Maiduguri F”our Mills area opposite BOPLAST Maiduguri.
The housing estate also has some modern facilities such as a clinic, Borehole, mosque, Security fence and gate among others.
He said one of the reason for initiating and constructing such housing estates across the Maiduguri metropolis is to cushion the effects of the insurgency on the IDPs whose houses were destroyed or demolished by the BOKO Haram insurgents at Bulabulin Nganaram area of the metropolis.
The governor added that first phase of the Legacy Garden Housing Estates has been completed and awaiting commissioning and distribution while the second phase is ongoing while over 2,500 other units of bungalow flats are under construction at different locations within the state capital along Dikwa, Biu, Bama, Magumeri, Mafa and others which are meant to be distributed to the public irrespective of religion, tribe and origin” because my government belongs to everybody in the state”.
Governor Shettima noted that despite the security challenges, his government intends to construct a 750 hiding estate at Mobbar local government area to accommodate their people displaced by the Zaki river and insurgency to split the hardships of the IDPs pointing out that “this inform the selection or appointment of the committee members based on their integrity and I hope you will discharge your responsibilities with all honesty and transparency.”
“The committee has the following terms of reference: to ensure that the list of all the affected internally displaced persons is compiled and documented, to ensure that all the houses are allocated peacefully and prudently without any fear or favour, to submit any recommendations the committee deems fit or co it any member it seems fit into the committee in its process if discharging its responsibilities and advice the state government where necessary in ensuring that all those affected benefits from the gesture.
The governor further advised the beneficiaries to make proper and good use of the houses saying, “the rightful people should benefit from the houses. No relation of the governor, or deputy governor or SSG or any government official or legislator should benefit from the houses even a verandah. The allocation should be strictly be the beneficiaries enlisted”.
Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Barrister Kaka SHEHU Lawan who is also the State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice thanked the governor for finding them worthy to serve in the committee and assured the governor that the houses will be allocated with all sincerity, fairness , equity and justice.
He commended the governor for initiating and constructing the houses while noting that no illegality will be experienced as ” other organizations construct and give houses to people on payment but Governor Shettima builds and distributes houses free of charge to the people to cushion their accommodation problems “.
The Chairman said all the IDPs affected will be screened and verified before allocating the houses to the and assured that the committee will not condone any act of multiple allocation or illegal allocation from anybody.
He said the committee will swing into action immediately by taking stick of the names of those actually affected while soliciting for the beneficiaries and committee members support and cooperation to ensure successful exercise.
