Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has lambasted protesting internally displaced persons ( IDPs), in Mafa Camp, of Mafa local government area of Borno State, complaining of hunger, and threatening to join Boko Haram terrorists in their enclaves in the bushes.
LEADERSHIP reports that the large population of the about 50,000 IDPs at Zulum’s hometown in Mafa had gathered their belongings in protest to the shortage of food supplies, threatening to vacate the camp over hunger.
The Mafa incident follows a similar protest by IDPs at the Dikwa IDPs camp a couple of days ago, expressing similar threats.
Addressing the about 50,000 IDPs at his hometown of Mafa on Sunday, Governor Zulum described them as ingrates, saying, “I have done my best for you; I can not do more than this.”
He said his administration has spent over N40 billion in the past one year on the humanitarian needs of the displaced persons and added that relief items have been sent to the camp on several occasions hence he described the attitude of the IDPs as that of ingrates .
“Today, IDPs in Mafa, my hometown IDPs camp are protesting and all threatening to vacate the camp,” he said in a most-angry tone, observing, “the protest and threat are caused by mischief makers.”
Zulum said to the IDPs: “The current food shortage is the world-over, and it is caused by the Russia-Ukraine war; it is not restricted to Borno State alone.”
He reminded the Mafa crowd: “Over the last one year, I have come to Mafa over 30 times for the distribution of food and non-food items, I cannot do more than this.”
The governor recalled further: “In the last one year I have spent not less than N40 billion to provide food and non-food items to the displaced people of the state.”
He said due to the gradual restoration of security in the state, “What we need is that people should go back to their agricultural land, the army has provided security and there is nothing we can do.”
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