23rd August, 2014
A group of elders under the aegis, Northern Adamawa and Southern Borno Elders (NASBE), has urged the federal and the state governments to find lasting solution to the recurring attacks in the areas.
The Chairman of the steering committee, Senator Paul Wampana, made the call at the maiden meeting of the group in Abuja on Saturday.
Wampana told newsmen that the meeting was called to discuss how the group could assist their people, who had been affected by terrorist attacks.
“The thrust of this meeting is to see how we can collaborate with the Federal and state governments to bring succour to the people affected by the activities of the insurgents.
“It is also to looked at the long term way of bringing these people back to their domain, resettle them and provide their immediate need,” he said.
The chairman said the group would get the statistics of the people that had been affected by the attacks so as to avoid a repeat of what happened after the 2012 flood disaster.
“The disaster came, affected people and the Federal Government voted huge sum of money but it went into the wrong hands.
“Our zone is situated either directly inside Sambisa forest or share borders with forest currently the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency and the theatre of war.
“Our people are being killed, maimed, displaced and their lands and property destroyed, instances such as the abduction of our Chibok girls yet to be found and released remain fresh in our hearts,” he said.
According to him, Northern Adamawa and Southern Borno Elders is non-partisan, non-political and non-sectarian group.
“It is also not an advocacy or a pressure group; it is simply the coming together of people concerned with the plight and suffering of their people,” he said.
Northern Adamawa and Southern Borno comprise 16 local government areas, Adamawa North had seven while Borno South had nine.
They are Adamawa North: Hong, Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha, while Borno South: Askira-Uba, Biu, Bayo Chibok, Damboa, Gwoza, Hawul, Kwaya-Kusar and Shani.
Wampana commended the Federal Government, Adamawa and Borno for the steps taken so far to check the attacks, adding that there was still much to be done to restore security.
He appealed to the government to make sure that various programmes, including the Victims Support Fund Committee, Safe School Initiative and relief materials, reached the affected people.
NAN reports that members of the National Assembly from the areas and many retired military personnel from the affected areas attended the meeting.
Some of them, who spoke to newsmen on the condition of anonymity called for the deployment of more troops as well as mobile quick response squad to check the incessant attacks.
NAN also reports that, at the meeting, a minute silence was observed in honour of those who had died in various attacks.