Ndume, BOCCIMA Call For USAID’s Investigation As Boko Haram Victims Recall Ordeal

The senator representing Southern Borno senatorial district at the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has described the allegation by a United States congressman that USAID is funding terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram, as a weighty allegation that the National Assembly and the Nigerian government should investigate.

LEADERSHIP reports that Scott Perry, a United States congressman representing Pennsylvania, had at the inauguration hearing of the sub-committee on Delivering on Government Efficiency during the congress accused the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) of funding terrorist organisations like Boko Haram.

Perry, during the session titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” further accused USAID of providing $136 million for building 120 schools in Pakistan.

Exclusively speaking to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Maiduguri, the senator said, ” As a matter of urgency, investigation should be carried out over the allegation since it is coming from a United States Congress man. It should not be left to the National Assembly alone”.

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In a similar vein, the president of the Borno State Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture ( BOCCIMA) Alhaji Ahmed Ashemi, reacting over the allegation, said most of the international donor agencies and non governmental organisations ( NGOs ) that run to conflict zones are not doing it for humanitarian reasons.

Ashemi noted that there are other ulterior motives and certain interests they are sponsored for, saying that they had always suspected that there is a lot of assistance the terrorists are getting from them.

” So this revelation by the US Congressman only confirmed our suspicion about the motives of some of the international donors. What they gain if they put us in perpetual conflict is something for real analysis by diplomatic and world leaders, ” Ashemi said.

Also condemning the continued Boko Haram occupation of their community, the chairman Kirawa Community Development, Yakubu Ali Kirawa, said his people have suffered so much in the hands of the Boko Haram terrorists.

He added that his people lived in internally displaced persons ( IDPs ) camps for over 11 years before they were resettled back to their community in the Kirawa area of the Gwoza local government area, adding that the terrorists had continued to wreak havoc, especially with attacks on farmers and looting of food items.

He condemned any act of sponsorship of the terrorists as alleged by the USA congressman and called on both federal and state governments to look into the allegation to know those behind the suffering of the people of Borno, North-East and Nigerians at large through the terrorists.

Ibrahim Kulkawa, a native of the Gava ‘ Bayan Dutse ‘ area, which is in the Mandara Mountain of the Gwoza local government area, said since 2014, they had been displaced by the Boko Haram terrorists and have been living in an IDP’s camp in Maiduguri.

He added that no assistance in the form of aid is coming to them and that the terrorists are still occupying their community.

He urged the government to investigate the allegation by the USA congressman on Boko Haram terrorists’ sponsorship by USAID, saying that the nature of the equipment and brand new vehicles, including ammunition the terrorists are using during attacks, are enough reasons to prove that they are heavily sponsored.