Borno IDPs Protest Inadequate Food Supply

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bama, Borno State, on Tuesday complained about the quantity of food supplied to them in their camp by the state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reported that the displaced persons voiced out their grievances when members of the House of Representatives Committee on the IDPs visited the camp.

A spokesman of the IDPs, Mallam Bukar Kolo, told the legislators that the IDPs were faced with acute food shortage at the camp.

“We were happy when the camp management abolished the centralised cooking system last week due to our complaints.

“But the introduction of household cooking has not solved the problem,” Kolo said.
He accused the SEMA officials of supplying inadequate food items to households under the new system.
“I have a family of 30 dependents but they gave me a 10 kilogram bag of semovita, a 50 kilogram bag of rice and some few items.

“These food items are expected to last three weeks, before another supply, but we have already exhausted the supply,” Kolo said.

He added: “This arrangement cannot work because the food supply is grossly inadequate.
“How can 30 people feed on food that cannot feed more than 10 persons?”

Mallam Mustapha Modu, another IDP, corroborated the claim.
“The food supplied to the displaced persons is not sufficient. We are still living in hunger because the food supply is too small to sustain us.

“We want you to please intervene and ensure that more food is supplied to us,” Modu said.
But the IDPs’ Camp Manager, Mallam Babagana Grema, faulted the IDPs’ claims.
“It is true that we gave them one bag of rice and one bag of semovita each.

“But we have made provision for additional supply to families who have exhausted their supply,” Grema said.
Responding, Alhaji Sani Zoro, chairman of the committee, promised to tackle the problems.
“We are here on a fact-finding mission; our aim is to ascertain and see the living condition of the IDPs.
“We will report back to the House and ensure that necessary action is taken towards alleviating your concerns here,” Zoro said.