Governor Kashim Shettima accuses UNICEF, 126 NGO’s of failing to provide services to IDPs

- Governor Kashim Shettima accuses UNICEF and 126 other
NGO’s of failing to justify the funds they claim to be expending
on persons displaced by Boko Haram insurgency
- Shettima says most of the NGOs are using funds released to
them for servicing only their overheads and personnel costs
- The governor says of the 126 NGOs that have mobilised to the
state, only about eight are actually providing humanitarian
services to the displaced persons
Governor Kashim Shettima has said only about eight NGOs were
actually providing humanitarian services to the displaced persons
in Borno state.
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state has told all United
Nations agencies, including UNICEF, and 126 other
nongovernmental organisations to leave the state for allegedly
failing to provide service to victims of Boko Haram.
Governor Shettima accused the NGO’s of failing to justify the
funds they claim to be expending on persons displaced by Boko
Haram insurgency.
The governor said most of the NGOs were using funds released
to them for servicing only their overheads and personnel costs,
Premium Times reports.
“We have the list of all NGOs operating in this state; apart from
the officially functioning NGOs,”
“Some of the United Nations agencies are doing their best in their
own way of doing things; but to me I am not satisfied."
He accused the UN agencies of being in the habit of using large
portion of the money meant for providing for IDPs to fund their
logistic needs.
He said the UN system would announce millions of dollars as
intervention for victims of Boko Haram, but more than half of
what was released would end up being used for recurrent
spending of the humanitarian agencies.
“The huge chunk of what they are budgeting for Borno goes to
service their overheads. I, as a governor don’t ride in bullet proof
cars; but they spend more than $50, 000 buying bullet proof cars
for themselves.
“They will construct five toilets in Gwoza and fly in helicopters
more than seven times to inspect the toilets," he said.
Mr. Shettima said he was fed-up hearing the UN’s rhetoric and
had decided to take tackle his problems on his own.
He noted that of the 126 NGOs that have mobilised to the state,
only about eight were actually providing humanitarian services to
the displaced persons.
“The World Food Programme is doing a very good job,” he said.
“The ICRC is doing a very good job. We also appreciate the
efforts of the Norwegian Refugee Council and the Danish Refugee
council. The International Organisation for Migration is doing a
good job. The UNHCR is also doing a good job.
“Apart from these eight NGOs, the rest of them are merely
existing. I have a list of 126 NGOs in Borno state.
“But we hardly know what the UN agencies are doing. We only
see them in some white flashy bullet proof jeeps; apart from that,
we hardly see their visible impacts. But particularly the UNICEF,
considering the huge quantum of funds at their disposal, they are
not really trying."
In another development, the Department of State Services (DSS)
says it has recorded major successes against criminal gangs,
kidnap syndicates and terrorist elements across the country.
The agency says the successes have further degraded the
capability of these elements to operate in the county.
A statement issued by Tony Opuiyo on behalf of the agency,
made available to Naij.com, noted that on 1st January, 2017, at
Mutum Biyu in Gassol LGA, Taraba State, suspects identified as
Bale Kolomi Grema and Kolomi Adba-Aji were arrested in a
mosque after they had fled Marte, Borno State, where they were
involved in Boko Haram terrorist activities.