House of Representatives
The House of Representatives on Tuesday
decried the N60 million provided by the
Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative
(PCNI) in the 2017 Budget for weeding in
communities ravaged by insurgency.
The amount is for contracts to “cut shrubs,
grasses and trees” along Maiduguri-Bama road.
The house’s Committee on Internally Displaced
Persons picked out the figure when the PCNI
appeared before it to defend its N45 billion
budget for humanitarian assistance,
rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced
villagers.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Sani Zoro and
other members expressed displeasure over the
provision.
“You cannot travel this same way, awarding
contracts on grasses again; it is not acceptable.
Why can’t you assign this duty to the military
to do it for you?
“They can use their personnel to clear the
grasses and you can drop this idea of awarding
contracts with N60 million.
“Your duty, from what we understand, is to
provide succour for the displaced persons.
“These people are traumatised and they need
urgent basic amenities as they return home.
Rehabilitation has to do with their survival as
human beings first,’’ Zoro said.
He challenged the PCNI to furnish the
committee with its mandate, saying “You have
N184 million for screening programme for
humanitarian activities, what does that mean?
“There is N150 million on advocacy and early
warning system and N165 million for conflict
management.
“You are going to deliver security equipment
for N200 million. What type of security
equipment? Then another N2.5 billion for
security outfits.
“Are you telling us that part of your role is to
fund the operations of the military in the
North-East? The military has its own budget
already.
“Why are you not talking about food, shelter,
medical care and schools for these IDPs?’’
A member of the committee, Rep. Adamu
Kamale (PDP-Adamawa) said that the N45
billion budgeted for the North-East was
inadequate, but decried the provision of N8.4
billion out of the money for military
operations.
Kamale argued that there was no justification
for the proposal for the military in the budget.
“PCNI is not a military agency. This N8.4 billion
should be converted to rehabilitation of burnt
houses and schools.
“I am an IDP, so I know where it pains. N5
billion out of the money can rehabilitate up to
50 per cent of the houses.
“Again, you are just duplicating so many things
in this budget. Our people back home will not
forgive us if we pass this budget like this,” he
said.
Another member, Rep. Istifanus-Dung Gyang
(PDP-Plateau) informed the committee that the
Federal Government’s total commitment to the
North-East in 2017 was “over N800 billion.”
Gyang explained that the money was domiciled
in the various Ministries, Departments and
Agencies of government for the purpose of
developing the region.
“So, your role as PCNI is recovery. You come in
after the military have completed their own
role and they have their budget”, he said.
However, the Vice-Chairman of the PCNI, Mr
Tijjani Tumsah, explained that the budget was
planned after due consultation with the
military.
He said that rehabilitation was the key
responsibility of the PCNI as it could not be
achieved if security aspect was left out.
Tumsah said that the government would not
take the risk of returning the IDPs to their
villages without adequate security cover.
“The IDPs are in camps in locations where they
are safe; so, returning them home means that
there is security for them.
“Security remains a major issue in
rehabilitation. There are mines everywhere.
The military will have to go in there to remove
them”, he added.
