Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, on Sunday visited Garade, a community in Marte Local Government Area. The Governor provided livelihood support to enable them to meet up their needs.
The first batch of the displaced persons who are indigenes of Marte returned from Dikwa, Monguno and Maiduguri on the 30th of November 2020.
2,870 returnees from 500 households constitute the first batch of citizens to take shelter from the rehabilitated Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA) quarters, after a request to the Managing Director by Governor Zulum during his earlier visit.
Each of the household heads received a bag of rice and one bag of maize grit.
The residents, most of whom returned recently and largely farmers that have not engaged in farming activities could not meet their livelihood needs.
Zulum also discussed modalities for providing support to enhance dry season farming activities in order to strengthen the livelihood capabilities of the returnees.
While in Marte, Zulum took time to visit a makeshift market established by the returnees. He assured them of his administration’s support to boost their economic activities.
Zulum, during the visit, held closed-door meetings with the military commanders in which issues concerning the security of the returnees were discussed.
The Governor had earlier addressed thousands of returnees and had charged them to cooperate with security operatives by providing credible information about unlawful activities and movements.
Marte Local Government was one of the Boko Haram insurgents strongholds liberated by the Nigerian military and the Multinational Joint Taskforce.
Zulum led a delegation comprising of a Senator representing Northern Borno, Abubakar Kyari, Member of House of Representatives representing Marte, Manguno, Nganzai, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, the Chief of Staff, Prof. Isa Hussaini Marte and relevant commissioners of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement and that of the Ministry for Local Government and Emirate Affairs.