BY ABDULLAHI ISAH, MAIDUGURI
The House of Representatives has assured the Borno state government that the House will provide necessary legislative frame work to facilitate the reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-east.
The chairman, House Committee on Army, Hon. Gaza Jonathan, disclosed this in Maiduguri, when members of the Committee paid a courtesy visit to Governor Kashim Shettima Wednesday.
He said they are in the state as part of the committee`s over sight on Army formations and also to assess the level of achievement of the military in the fight against insurgency.
“As Legislators, we may not always succeed in getting government to listen to things they don’t want to hear, or do things they don’t want to do but it remains our collective responsibility and duty to continue to guide them accordingly”, the chairman said.
Hon. Jonathan said the military had so far recorded considerable success in the fight against the insurgents, as they are beating back the militant group better than before. The basic task now, he said, is how to go about rehabilitating basic services and infrastructure in the destroyed communities.
He said “be assured of the National Assembly`s commitment to your cause, as we shall continue to stand by you and offer our unflinching support, so that together we shall rebuild Borno and neighboring states worse hit by the insurgency and we will emerge stronger than before”.
Responding, Governor Kashim Shettima, represented by deputy Governor Alhaji Usman Maman Durkwa solicited improved funding for the military so that they will soon end insurgency in Borno state and the country at large.
He also appealed to the Federal Government to consider absorbing the civilian JTF into the military , Para-military and federal agencies, so that they should not be a menace after the war against insurgency.
At the Borno state House of Assembly, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulkareem Lawan commended the House committee on Army for visiting the state to see things for themselves and called on them to go round the IDPs camps.
The speaker who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Danlami Gamandi said this is the first time a House committee is visiting the state and appealed to them to facilitate the quick passage of the bill for the establishment of the North-east Development Commission which is before the House, so that the IDPs will go back to their communities.
