By Musdapha Ilo

The Victim Support Fund, VSF, has blamed the inability of the federal government to embark on rehabilitation work in the insurgency-ravaged north east on fresh attacks by Boko Haram terrorists.

Air Marshal Jonah Wuye, chairman of the Fund’s sub-committee on data collection, said that the N58.79 billion realized at the launch in August is still intact but renewed attacks make it difficult for rehabilitation works to commence.

Speaking at the presentation of relief materials to the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Wuye, who was represented by Bulama Gubio, member of the committee representing Jamaatul Nasrul Islam, JNI, and Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, SCIA, said: “The Fund would have started rebuilding villages, markets, schools, and other public places destroyed by the insurgents, but for the fresh attacks in places.”

“We are just waiting for the attacks to end and normalcy restored so that we will start rebuilding the structures.”

Explaining the composition of the Fund, which is headed by Theophilus Danjuma, a retired Army General, and also has the likes of Aliko Dangote as members, Wuye said it was set up to source for money and materials for the rehabilitation of the numerous victims of the insurgency in all parts of the country.

“The Victims Support Fund is not an entirely a Federal Government thing. It has membership from the federal, states, the private sector as well as international bodies like UNICEF, USAID among others,” he said, adding that it will also assist victims who lost their means of livelihood with token amount as business capital to start new life.

In a similar vein, chairman of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Grema Terab, thanked the Fund for donating relief materials to victims of the insurgency currently raging through the northeast.

Accepting the materials made up of “4, 800 bags of rice, 4, 800 bags of beans and 4, 800 litres of cooking oil”, Terab said while the state government spends N300million monthly to cater for the internally displaced persons, more assistance is needed.

“Your activities here really boost our hope that the war will soon be over and VSF will immediately champion the rehabilitation of victims, rebuilding homes, towns and cities as well as resuscitation of the economy. I would like to reiterate that Borno needs your attention and help the most,” Terab said.

One of the Borno State government’s palliative efforts, according to Terab, is the Food For All Initiative, aimed at reaching 32,000 families with food. So far, he said, 4,800 families have benefitted from the initiative.

Terab lamented that 80,000 internally displaced persons are presently accommodated at various camps within Maiduguri metropolis with over 500,000 squatting in various homes in the capital of Borno state, a situation he said requires urgent help.