Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has assured displaced communities affected by insecurity in Monguno Local Government Area of immediate humanitarian assistance and long-term support aimed at ensuring their dignified resettlement.
Governor Zulum gave the assurance during a visit to displaced persons in Monguno town on Sunday, where he reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving the welfare and living conditions of victims of insecurity across the state.
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During the visit to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, the governor interacted with displaced families, including women, children, and elderly residents, while listening to their concerns and challenges.
According to him, the state government, in collaboration with the Nigerian military hierarchy, had critically assessed the situation and agreed on urgent interventions to support the affected communities.
“We have examined the situation critically alongside the hierarchy of the Nigerian military, and it has been concluded that we shall provide immediate humanitarian support to these displaced communities, especially in the areas of water, shelter, and sanitation,” Zulum stated.
He added that the government was also developing medium and long-term solutions that would support sustainable resettlement in their ancestral communities.
“Apart from this, we shall also ensure that medium and longer-term sustainable solutions are being adopted, which is acceptable to this community and their ancestral home,” he said.
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The governor assured the displaced persons that his administration would not allow citizens to continue facing hardship without urgent intervention.
“We will improve the living conditions of the displaced persons; we will not allow our citizens to endure such hardship without urgent government intervention,” he added.
Governor Zulum also urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely information on suspicious activities, stressing that maintaining security requires collective responsibility.
“Security is everybody’s business. Communities must continue to support security agencies with timely and useful information,” the governor said.
He further disclosed that there are over 50,000 returnees currently in Marte, noting that arrangements were ongoing to facilitate the return of more displaced persons to the area as part of the government’s long-term resettlement strategy.
To ensure swift implementation of the intervention plans, the governor directed the Secretary to the State Government, the Commissioner for Local Government, the Commissioner for Internal Security, and the Chairman of Marte Local Government Area to work out modalities for executing the recommendations reached.
Governor Zulum sympathized with residents affected by recent insecurity incidents and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting affected communities.
As part of the visit, the governor also met with health workers at the Monguno Eye Hospital, where he commended them for sustaining healthcare services despite difficult working conditions and limited resources. He announced financial support to improve their welfare and boost healthcare delivery in the area.
The governor also visited the Commanding Officer of the Forward Operation Base (FOB) Mairari for a security briefing.
Governor Zulum was accompanied by Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly Abdulkarim Lawan, member representing Marte, Monguno and Nganzai Federal Constituency, Bukar Talba, Secretary to the State Government Bukar Tijani, and other senior government officials.