From Uche Uche Damaturu
Yobe state government had yesterday, closed the last and remaining Internally Displaced Persons camp, Pompomari, situated inside Pompomari nursery and primary school in Damaturu, the state capital.
The camp which was established on the 27th of March, 2015, has at the beginning, a total population of 4,211, however, due to the state government gesture of providing incentives like food items, transport money and cash assistance to IDPs who are willing to leave the camp to pursue their means of livelihood, a total of 2,897 IDPs voluntarily left the camp leaving behind 1,314.
In a speech presented during the closing ceremony which took place at the Pompomari camp, the Permanent Secretary of the state Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Musa Idi Jidawa, disclosed that it was the remaining 1, 314 IDPs, made up of 318 heads of households and 996 dependents, who voluntarily requested to be allowed to leave the camp and relocate to communities of their choice.
He pointed out that the state government has spent a total sum of N140 million for the establishment, take-off, feeding and routine medical upkeep of the IDPs, and to as they are leaving the camp, the state government has provided a return package consisting of 743 bags of 50 kilogram of rice, 596 jerry cans of 25 litres vegetable oil to help the returnee start off in their livelihood in their respective future abodes.
The return package also includes 541 cartons of tomato paste, 370 cartons of bathing soap, 1,000 pieces of mosquito nets, 1,272 pieces of nylon mats, 60 bales of used clothes and cash assistance of N9, 110 million to be shared among the 318 heads of households based on family size, in which a family of between six to seven persons got 3 bags of rice and 3 jerry cans of cooking oil and cash assistance of N50, 000, those with 3 to 5 persons got N30, 000 while those 2 persons got the sum of N20, 000 each.
He stated that within the three years and three months of establishment and subsequent closure, the camp, 42 marriages were contracted, 195 healthy babies were born, but sadly the camp also recorded 26 number of deaths.
He added that now that the school made IDPs camp is being vacated, the government has made provision for one solar powered borehole, one generator set, one television set, two sewing machines, six tents and two containerized classes to be used as classrooms.
Other provisions by the government in order to assist the school towards enhancing learning conditions includes three blocks of 36 compartments VIP latrines to be used by the school, and two blocks of 24 compartments VIP showers.
He commended the state governor, Alh. Ibrahim Gaidam, all humanitarian partners for their unqualified support to the internally displaced persons in official and self-set camps as well as host communities across the state and urged them to continue with the good work in the spirit of humanitarian services.
