The Governor of Borno State has revealed the discovery of “650 ghost households” when he visited a camp of Internally Displaced Persons in Borno State.
Zulum made this discovery during a visit to the camp located at Mohammed Goni College of Islamic Legal Studies in Maiduguri, the state capital, at midnight.
This was a part of the move to put a stop to rampant cases of dubious residents pretending to be displaced.
The irony of this news is that this the governor of a state that has for years been suffering in the hands of Boko Haram and every known and unknown insurgents. He has been seen as the protector of his people. He has been known to challenge the military who operate in his state of complacency and even collaborations with the criminal elements fighting against the federal forces in his state. Now, he is seen as turning on those he is supposed to be helping.
A statement issued on the Facebook page of the Governor on Sunday revealed that the fake IDPs spend day times at the camp when food is being shared, and towards the night they return to their homes.The statement read, “Around midnight on Sunday, Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum showed up at Mohammed Goni College of Islamic Legal Studies in Maiduguri, where internally displaced persons from Abadam local government area of northern Borno were being camped.
“Zulum immediately sealed entrance and supervise a headcount to identify actual IDPs, in order to put a stop to rampant cases of dubious residents pretending to be displaced, who spend day times at IDP camps to share food meant for IDPs, and towards the night, they return to their homes to sleep, with some of benefiting from other means through which the state distributes food to vulnerable non IDPs in communities.
“Governor Zulum’s mission, which ended past 1 am, discovered that out of 1,000 households in the records of humanitarian officials, 650 households were ghosts.
“450 households were found to be real IDPs after Zulum’s midnight headcount which was conducted by the governor alongside an official of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Air Commodore M. T. Abdullahi, and two commissioners (Agriculture, and Local Government and Emirate Affairs).
“In the humanitarian system, a household normally consists of at least six persons who are either related through families or chosen to stay together for the purpose of receiving household aids.
“Officials who were part of the midnight headcount said Governor Zulum was not averse to approving support for any citizen who may be vulnerably in need of food since there is a committee doing that, however, the Governor is vehemently opposed to some residents making dubious claims in other to take what is meant for IDPs while also benefiting from other existing welfare activities that target non IDPs.”
The Scope News opines that most of these “Ghost IDP” may likely be folks that their farms are now firing squad ranges for the terrorists. Does it give any one any joy to be a beggar. Why debase folks that are already down trodden? This sort of issue should not constitute news. For while the governor wants his masters to think he is working hard, he does not put into consideration the emotional hurt he is inflicting on these his hungry people. The headline should have read “Governor Zulum plans relief for non IDPs discovered in IDP camp” This way both the suffering citizens and the governor will come out looking good – – –
