The Ad Hoc Committee probing the 2013 Presidential Relief Materials in Borno State has raised an alarm over what it described as imminent threats of famine in most communities in Borno State as a result of the destructive activities of the Islamic extremists, Boko Haram.
The committee, while submitting its findings to the Federal Government, urged the Presidency to consider allocating at least 1,000 trucks of grains to the troubled states of the northeast in order to avert the looming famine.
The committee submitted its findings to the Federal Government through the Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee, Bashir Maidugu, the price of food items in communities in states where emergency was declared by the President had increased tremendously.
“Already, food items have skyrocketed in those areas. There are reports of drought in the neighbouring Niger Republic this year. In Borno State for example, most surrounding villages and towns around Maiduguri have virtually become ghost settlements as their inhabitants have migrated to Maiduguri.
“This has starved the city of traditional supply of food items and other essential commodities. We must state here that Maiduguri infrastructure is over stretched. The magnanimity of Mr. President last year is commendable as the purpose of the strategic grains reserve programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria has been achieved,” Maidugu said.
He recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had last year approved about 650 trucks of various grains for disbursement to the troubled states, adding that the, gesture was aimed at cushioning the hardship being faced by the inhabitants of these localities who were originally farmers.
“For the last couple of years, farming activities, especially in Borno and Yobe states have virtually come to a halt. These relief items were therefore timely.”
Maidugu said the committee, which was constituted on a fact-finding mission four weeks ago, was to ascertain the actual quantity of grains allocated to Borno State, the mode of distribution and the number of trucks allocated to the state, the actual number of trucks delivered, and the outstanding grains that were still at the silos.
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