Exposed: How these syndicates are responsible for the death of IDPs
– There is a syndicate diverting relief materials meant for IDPs in the north east, NAIJ.com has gathered
– According to a source in Borno state, the syndicate which is within NEMA and SEMA have been engaging in this unwholesome act for a while
– The syndicate, the source alleged are hoping and praying that insurgency does not end
A syndicate within the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) in the Boko Haram ravaged north eastern states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe is responsible for the illegal diversion of relief materials meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), NAIJ.com has gathered.
The syndicate, according to a source in Maiduguri, Borno state capital has been engaging in this unwholesome act at the detriment of displaced persons in camps for a very long time.
It was recently in the news that IDPs were dying of hunger and starvation due to the shortage of relief materials including food items. Also, a video clip of how bags of rice meant for the IDPs were being repackaged into commercial bags recently went viral. The video showed some men emptying bags of rice branded with NEMA logo into unidentified commercial bags within the premises of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Maiduguri.
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Reacting to the leaked video, the highly placed source in SEMA, Borno state who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, disclosed that the diversion of relief materials has been a common practice since the beginning of insurgency and setting up of camps in the north east.
The source also added that diversion of relief materials was not as pronounced it is at the moment when the management of displaced persons camps and relief materials was majorly under the control of NEMA.
NAIJ.com gathered that the management of the relief materials to efficiently manage the IDP camps scattered across the north east have been largely taken away from NEMA and committed into the hands of SEMA. This reason, Mr Mohammed Kana, NEMA north-east zonal co-ordinator said says a lot and absolves NEMA of complicity in the alleged diversion of relief materials meant for the IDPs.
NAIJ.com also gathered that the Borno state government and NEMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as regards the day to day management of displaced persons camps in the state. According to the MOU which is subject to review every three months, NEMA is meant to provide food while the state government provides the condiments.
When NAIJ.com asked Mr Mohammed if he was aware of the MOU, he said he was not privy to the details and cannot comment on it.
When the director of relief and rehabilitation at NEMA headquarters, Mr Sambo Bafale was contacted to speak on the issue, he said he was aware of the leaked video but hasn’t watched the video.
When our reporter offered to email the video to him, the director said he does not have the facility to receive videos on his phone at the moment. He then asked that the video be forwarded to the public relations unit of the Agency. At the time of filing this report Mr Bafale has not gotten back even after sending the video as earlier suggested.
When our reporter showed the video to a highly placed source in NEMA who asked not to be named, he said he doesn’t doubt the allegation that a syndicate is responsible for the repackaging and selling of relief items. The source at NEMA’s head office in Abuja who asked not to be named confided in NAIJ.com that there are people who don’t want the insurgency to end in the north east because of their nefarious activities.
“The truth is I cannot deny that there is no syndicate or people who have been short-changing the government. But I want to look at it from this angle. There were governors from the north eastern states of the federation that wanted to handle the management of IDPs for reason known to them. They pressurized the former administration to concede the total management of the camps. So NEMA met and signed an MOU with the Borno state government for example. The arrangement was that we (NEMA) will provide the food items (raw) and the state government will provide the condiments and what have you. From all indications, the state has not been able to properly manage the camps but no one in NEMA is talking. There is a conspiracy somewhere,” the source said.
The source decried the interference in the affairs of the Agency by politicians adding that NEMA has been lying to Nigerians.
READ ALSO: Hunger hits IDP camps: Borno authorities divert relief materials
“We have been lying to ourselves. What we are practicing is not emergency management. It is political emergency management. Politicians rather prefer to score cheap political points instead of the right things and be genuinely concerned about their people. We are have been lying to ourselves let me sincere with you,” the source said.
In related news, the Borno state government has directed security agencies to investigate alleged diversion of relief materials meant for IDPs in the state.
The special adviser on communication and strategy to the state governor, Mallam Isa Gusau explained that the directive was given following widespread allegations that some government functionaries were involved in the diversion.
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