…Says 90 Percent Of Victims Of Insurgency Are Neglected By Govt
By Tom Garba – A non- governmental organization, Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria (CRUDAN) has raised an alarm over the spate of abduction of social aid workers in the north eastern states of Nigeria.
CRUDAN said the security situation is scaring away social aid workers from the zone, warning that the government’s plan to reconstruct and rehabilitate the area within shortest possible time would not be achieve if its partners, particularly the aid workers continue to be apprehensive about their safety.
The group also lamented 90 percent of victims of insurgency are suffering neglect from government.
Zonal facilitator of CRUDAN, Joseph Gyandi, told journalists at the presentation of group’s report in Yola that its findings were distilled out of its extensive engagement with victims of insurgency in the north east zone.
He said the NGO found out that only 8 percent of those affected and displaced as a result of Boko Haram activities benefitted from government interventions targeted at bringing succour to its victims.
According to CRUDAN, the other 90percent have never felt the impact of government, noting that the IDP’s living within host communities, are particularly known to be the ones to have suffered neglect.
He noted that the 8 percent who were covered is representative of those who enjoyed protection and support, offered on
government operated camps and shelters, to victims of insurgency.
Lamenting that most government intervention particularly relief materials channeled through state officials were never delivered to its intended targets.
“Based on statistics 92 percent of the victims of insurgency are living in the host communities, only about 8% or thereabout are in camps. So you discover, that most of this people living in the host communities have never had direct interaction with the government. Most of them will tell you that, they have never received anything from the government.
The NGO charged the government on restoring confidence into the life of the victims and their safety in terms of security, adding that the government should stop politicizing things but should instead act base on the needs on the ground.
It also maintained that the government should have a machinery on ground so that each and every citizen should be valued.
It said even now in the budget, a substantial amount has been voted for intervention. But this intervention will go nowhere if you don’t have the right information and the right strategy to put it through.
