Borno, Yobe elders demand N300bn

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, and two others, have asked the Federal Government to raise N300bn emergency special intervention funds for the reconstruction of Yobe and Borno states.

This, they said, should be at N60bn a year over a period of five years for reconstruction projects.

The two others are Ambassador Baba Kaigama and Ibrahim Bunu, an architect.

 They stated this in the memorandum on the security challenges in the two states  the elders submitted on Thursday to the  National Conference, in Abuja.

The elders accused security agencies of being responsible for some of the atrocities visited on innocent civilians in the North-East.

They recalled how the Boko Haram started its violent activities in 2003.

They also explained how the killing of the Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf, had led to “distrust between the public and members of the security agencies who up to now had failed to win the hearts and minds of the people.”

The elders queried the decision by the government to disband the civilian JTF without any alternative plan to secure the cities.

“Both Maiduguri and Damaturu had experienced a rare period of peace before bombs and wanton shootings returned to Maiduguri recently,” they stated.

The writers appealed to Boko Haram members to dialogue with the Federal Government in the interest of all.

While thanking government for its efforts to alleviate the suffering of victims of insurgency, they added that the 600 trucks of grains releases to victims in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa were “nowhere near adequate”.

They urged the government to make proper budgetary allocations to address the effects in the affected states.

They also urged the Federal Government to deploy additional troops to forestall a return by the insurgents after the current government offensive succeeds.

The writers appealed to government “as a matter of urgency, transfer all students of secondary schools and colleges in the affected states to other states.