Senate Allocates N10bn To IDP's In North-east In 2016 Budget - Politics

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

ABUJA — THE Senate, yesterday, mandated its Committee on Appropriation to allocate the sum of N10 billion under service wide vote for the relocation and resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons,IDPs, returning to Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

The Red Chamber also urged the National Emergency Management Agency,NEMA, and the Refugees Commission to make special arrangement for repatriation and resettlement of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon, Niger and Chad. But the Senate asked the committee to include IDPs in Taraba,Plateau,Benue and Nasarawa states as beneficiaries in the allocated amount.

The Senate action was sequel to a motion, tagged: “Interim financial and material support/assistance to Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, returnees in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states”, presented for consideration during plenary by the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume,APC, Borno South and eight others from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

The managers of the Victim Support Fund have been directed as well to allocate reasonable amount of money from the fund for immediate relocation and resettlement of the IDPs, pending the short and medium term plans they may have. Other IDP centres across different states of the federation are expected to benefit from the proposed N10 billion and other other intervention funds when it eventually released by the executive.

Sponsors of the motion, in their lead debate,said the returning IDPs need immediate and interim financial and material assistance in terms of cash transfer and food relief to start their lives all over again in the short term before the intervention from the proposed North East Development Commission ,PINE. Lead sponsor of the motion, Ali Ndume, in his remark, said: “These IDPs from these states ran away from their various , from their various homes, leaving everything they own behind with the hope of returning in short time, but ended up losing everything to the Boko Haram insurgents.

“The displaced persons’ houses and other physical properties, like vehicles machineries, buildings and almost everything have been destroyed or vandalized by the insurgents, Boko Haram. Most or all the affected persons are relatively poor with no savings, source of income or gainful employment,” the lead sponsor, Ndume said in his remarks.

Considering the five-prayer motion, the Senate urged the federal government to release grains from the strategic grain reserve to the affected states. Also, it directed the appropriate committees to write a letter of appreciation to the embassies of the host countries where the refugees are accommodated.

It also urged the victim support fund to allocate reasonable amount from the fund for immediate relocation and resettlement for the IDPs pending the short and medium term plans, they might have.

: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/03/2016-budget-senate-allocates-n10bn-to-idps-in-north-east/