The Yobe Agency for Community and Social Development, YBACSD, says it has spent N1.07 billion on 122 community and group development projects to improve the lives of displaced, physically challenged and vulnerable persons.
Goni Babagana, General Manager, YBACSD, stated this on Monday while briefing newsmen on tour of the projects in Damaturu.
He said the agency provided resources for 84 community development projects and 38 Group development projects for various communities, Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, people with disability and vulnerable persons, from 2016 to date.
“The projects are people-driven, where the benefitting communities or groups select projects of their choice and make five per cent payment of the total cost to enhance ownership, while the agency pays 95 per cent.
“The groups execute the projects through direct labour or award contract to contractors of their choice, while the agency supervises the execution to ensure that the projects are executed in accordance with specifications.
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“For every project, there are committees from the beneficiaries, with 30 per cent women representation, who select the project and execute same through direct labour or contract” Mr babagana said.
Some IDPs in kukareta village, News Agency of Nigeria reports that with the assistance of the agency, some IDPs in Kukareta village of the state are now proud owners of two-bedroom houses.
Mohammed Samaila, formerly an IDP, said he fled Mainok village in Borno to Kukareta and now owns a two-bedroom house in his new abode in Yobe.
“I came here to Kukareta,Yobe, from Mainok in Borno, following Boko Haram attack in 2015; I stayed in a make-shift hut with 12 members of my family, until I received support from YBACSD to build this two bedroom,” he said.
Mallum Alhaji, also an IDP, said he fled with his family from Damboa town in Borno, to Yobe, and had now settled in Kukareta permanently,adding that he built a house with support from the agency.
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Hauwa Suleiman and Hauwa Isa, two widows from Borno, said with the support from YBACSD, they had settled in Kukareta and would no longer return to their villages.
Mallum Gado, a community leader of the IDPs, commended the agency for supporting displaced persons to resettle and recover their lives.
“The opportunity given to us by the agency to execute these projects directly or through contract, has guaranteed quality projects,” he said.
Hajiya Magajiya Kyellumi, chairperson, Muslim Women, said the agency supported the organisation with over N6 million for the construction of a skills acquisition training centre for widows in Damaturu.
“We are executing the project which has two halls, two offices and toilets, to our taste, through direct labour, to ensure quality was not compromised”, she said.
NAN
