Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam Friday said that over
N10 billion has been expended by the state government on 'logistics and
payments of allowances' to personnel of security agencies and other
troops fighting Boko Haram insurgency in the state.
The governor disclosed this at Government House, Damaturu, when the
Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Abdul Bulama was
distributing relief materials to over 16, 500 displaced persons in the
state.
'Since the Boko Haram insurgency in this state, the state government
had been expending a monthly allowance of N300 million on logistics and
payments of allowances and other needs of security operatives fighting
this insurgency and insecurity to lives and property in Yobe.
'This administration has also been paying compensation for structures
and houses destroyed by the insurgents as well as handsome financial
packages to the families of security operatives in the event of death on
injury while on duty.
'The state government has also provide over 200 Hilux patrol
vehicles to security operatives and other security agencies fighting the
insurgency in the state, lamenting that it is a huge financial burden.
'Considering the huge sum of money expended on maintenance of
security, and on victims in comparison with the meager resources that
accrue to the state from the federation account, this huge financial
burden is a source of great concern,' he said.
Responding, Bulama told the deputy governor that he is leading the
federal government delegation to the state to distribute relief
materials to internally displaced persons from across the state and by
extension, the north-east zone of the country.
He said the president approved N1.5 billion for procurement of relief
materials to be distributed to displaced persons in the state, adding
that the items have been brought to the state as intervention measure
cushion the devastating effects of terrorists' activities.
Items procured for distribution, according to him, include
mattresses, food items, and building materials among others. He said the
displaced persons are to be traced and identified before distributing
the materials to them.
'These persons are to be provided with intervention measures as
apalliative against the attack on them and their communities by Boko
Haram,' said Bulama.
Responding, the displaced persons thanked the federal government
for the gesture and called on other well to do individuals and
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to come to their aid as their
living conditions have become pathetic in the last two or three months.
