By Gbenga Akingbule
Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly Rt. Hon Abdulkarim Lawan on Wednesday lamented the continued stay of his constituents at Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp and appealed to the Federal government to expedite action on the full restoration of civil authority in his Area Council, Guzamala.
Gatekeepers News reports that although residents have returned to some parts of the Guzamala local government area but the council Headquarters, Gudumbali and many other villages have remained desolate for over a decade since attacks by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
Lawan made the appeal while speaking at Ramat Square, the venue of the Democracy Day celebration in Maiduguri the state capital.
The Speaker lamented that his people have since 2015 have their elections conducted at IDPs camps and stated the urgent steps must be taken by relevant security agencies to ensure the return of civil authority in Guzamala Local Government and adjoining communities.
“As we celebrate the 2024 Democracy Day, I want to reiterate my appeal to the Federal Government and the Military Authorities to restore civil authority in Guzamala Council and other inaccessible areas, so that our displaced people taking refuge in the Niger Republic or those living in host communities of Maiduguri metropolis and Gajiram, Monguno local government areas should go back to their ancestral homes and pick up their pieces. ” Lawan said.
The Acting Governor of Borno State Hon Umar Usman quickly responded and revealed that a committee is already in place under the Chairmanship of the Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Hon. Sugum Mai Mele, and the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF “are working round the clock to restore normalcy and relocation of displaced people of Guzamala.”
