Senator Ali Ndume on Monday wept on his visit to several camps of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno State.
Ndume, while addressing IDPs in Bakassi and Gubio camps in Maiduguri, urged all IDPs from Gwoza to return home, assuring them of their safety.
The lawmaker kept wiping tears off his eyes intermittently with a handkerchief.
Ndume said insurgency had reduced many people in Gwoza to almost beggars and they had to wait to be given handouts in the camp before they could feed.
“The Palestinian IDPs camp has been existing for 60 years; in Kenya, it existed for about 30 years.
“So, insecurity cannot be completely eliminated. We must therefore defy fears, summon courage and be resilient in order to achieve permanent solution to our problems.
“It is understood that some of them are traumatised because of what happened to them and they are scared they may be attacked again while some are thinking of what to do when they go back home.
“We have people of Izge and Limakara who lived inside the deep mountains, but have consistently defeated Boko Haram because they are resilient, focused, vigilant and always at alert.
“Because of their resilience, they are now expanding their territories; we can also do the same in Gwoza,” he said.
Ndume said the Federal Government had made efforts to rehabilitate and reconstruct many residential homes, schools, clinics, palace and other social amenities to enhance civic authority.
“The Federal Government is also focusing on rehabilitation and resettlement of IDPs through the North East Development Commission (NEDC) with an approved take-off sum of N95 billion,” he said.
The lawmaker kept wiping tears off his eyes intermittently with a handkerchief.
Ndume said insurgency had reduced many people in Gwoza to almost beggars and they had to wait to be given handouts in the camp before they could feed.
“The Palestinian IDPs camp has been existing for 60 years; in Kenya, it existed for about 30 years.
“So, insecurity cannot be completely eliminated. We must therefore defy fears, summon courage and be resilient in order to achieve permanent solution to our problems.
“It is understood that some of them are traumatised because of what happened to them and they are scared they may be attacked again while some are thinking of what to do when they go back home.
“We have people of Izge and Limakara who lived inside the deep mountains, but have consistently defeated Boko Haram because they are resilient, focused, vigilant and always at alert.
“Because of their resilience, they are now expanding their territories; we can also do the same in Gwoza,” he said.
Ndume said the Federal Government had made efforts to rehabilitate and reconstruct many residential homes, schools, clinics, palace and other social amenities to enhance civic authority.
“The Federal Government is also focusing on rehabilitation and resettlement of IDPs through the North East Development Commission (NEDC) with an approved take-off sum of N95 billion,” he said.
