The Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency says no fewer than 2,000 school-aged children of Internally Displaced Persons have enrolled into the Safe School programme in the state.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Haruna Furo, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Yola, said the initiative was part of the Federal Government’s special education package for the children of IDPs nationwide.
According to Furo, the programme is a collaboration among the state Universal Basic Education Board, the National Emergency Management Agency and UNICEF.
He disclosed that the main objective of the programme was to ensure that the education of the affected children did not suffer any setback while living in the camps.
He said: “Presently, the Safe School programme for children of IDPs in both primary and secondary schools had commenced in six designated camps across the state.
“Over 2,000 children have enrolled in the programme and about 165 of them already admitted into various Unity Schools and Colleges across the country.”
Also commenting on the IDPs, the Coordinator of camps established by the National Emergency Management Agency in Adamawa State, Alhaji Sa’ad Bello, said there were six designated and eight light camps in the state, with over 30,000 IDPs.
Bello said from records available, there were 85 deliveries in the 14 camps from November 2014 to date.
The Secretary to the Adamawa State Government, Ibrahim Yaweh, said over N2 billion worth of property was destroyed in the state as a result of the activities of insurgents.
Yaweh listed Mubi North, Mubi South, Madagali, Michika, Maiha, Gombi and Hong as the most devastated local government areas.
He said people in the affected areas lost their houses, farm produces, markets and shops among others.
Meanwhile, six communities in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State sacked by Boko Haram insurgents and now camped in a primary school building in Damaturu, have commended the state government, non-governmental organisations and individuals for assisting them.
Ali Kime,a displaced person from one of the affected communities, said he was satisfied with the welfare arrangement in the camp, adding that they were being provided with adequate food, water and drugs.
Another displaced person and a mother of six, Bintu Mallum, said “the camp has reunited missing families” and the officials had provided them with basic needs, medical assistance and psychological therapy.
While also commending government for coming to their aid, Malam Yawale Musa, a displaced person from Buni-Yadi, pleaded with the authorities to assist in rebuilding their houses destroyed by insurgents, and provide them with farm inputs to revive their economy.
“Farming is the basic preoccupation of the communities; if we are supported with inputs, it will assist us in reviving our economy,” he said.
Alhaji Idi Musa, the Secretary of Yobe State Emergency Management Agency, said the state government established the camp at Pompomari Primary School, Damaturu to cater for over 4,000 displaced persons from the six affected communities in Gujba Local Government Area.
Bulau Geidam,Yobe SEMA Director of Planning, Disaster and Relief, said his agency, in collaboration with UNICEF, established tent classrooms for 2,600 school-aged children from the affected communities, to ensure the continuity of their education.
NAN