The Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, has directed newly appointed caretaker chairmen to commence administrative activities in reconstructed secretariats and temporary secretariats in 24 out of the 27 local government areas across the state.Three remaining local government areas are to operate ‘satellite secretariats’ within IDP camps in Maiduguri. The move, Shettima said, is to lay foundation for return of civil authority in local government areas, as a post insurgency response.In a statement by his media aide, Isa Gusau, the governor gave the directives on Friday shortly after caretaker chairmen for the 27 local government areas were sworn in for a term of six months.“The chairmen should immediately commence work with the deputy governor, commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement and our security establishments to start operating either from their reconstructed council secretariats or to set up satellite secretariats in any vacant public infrastructure or at any IDP camp with the highestpopulation of citizens at the headquarters of theirrespective local government areas”, he said.The governor also listed four local government areas which are to operate two secretariats each.“The following local government areas are to operate two satellite secretariats with each secretariat having senior and important local government officials stationed there, while chairmen must rotate their presence in between the two secretariats. These local government areas are: Bama, which should have satellite secretariats in Bama town and one in Maiduguri in order to serve nearly 30,000 citizens at the IDP camp in Bama and the hundreds of thousands of citizens living at IDP camps and host communities in Maiduguri. The chairman must operate in Bama town”, he added.The governor directed the opening of satellite secretariats to be stationed within IDP camps in Maiduguri for use by Abadam, Mobbar and Guzamala local government areas “due to military operations around their headquarters”.
Governor Shettima explained that gone are the days when chairmen of local government areas sit in Maiduguri to operate from their rented homes noting that now that “citizens live in most of the local government areas as a result of military success, there has to be a new system in place”.“I will hold chairmen responsible if I hear any complaints whether of shortage or lack of food, water, access to primary healthcare or absence of teachers at any IDP camp unless it is evident that chairmen made frantic efforts to bring such cases to the notice of appropriate authorities and in which case, the right persons will be held accountable. Chairmen must therefore come up with roasters that would ensure deployments of their officials to all IDP camps on rotational basis and whoever’s turn it is, must be stationed at the camp. I expect to see officials of local government areas spending the night at IDP camps if for nothing else, to supervise the welfare of their people and to help them in their healing process and to give confidence to them. Immediately after this swearing in, the deputy governor should meet with all the caretaker chairmen and the relevant commissioners to come up with clear steps through which education and health workers will be made to provide services to citizens of their respective local government areas, particularly those in IDP camps. Teachers must be fully supervised to ensure good education across IDP camps and headquarters of LGs where citizens live at the moment,” the governor said.The governor expressed happiness over the peace in the state, adding that inaugurating chairmen after a long time was a thing of joy.
Daily Trust
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