Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State on Friday directed the
Caretaker Committee Chairmen of 20 out of the 27 Local Government Areas
in the State to begin operations from their various secretariats.The governor gave the directive in Maiduguri while inaugurating Caretaker Committees for the 27 councils.
Some of councils’ headquarters were liberated by the military from Boko Haram terrorists.
The councils were either reconstructed or have satellite secretariats in their headquarters.
The governor named the councils as Kaga, Jere, Damboa, Konduga, Monguno, Askira Uba, Chibok, Ngala, Kala-Balge, Mafa and Nganzai.
The rest are Dikwa, Gubio, Magumeri, Biu, Shani, Bayo, Hawul, Kwaya Kusar and the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.
Shettima said four caretaker committee chairmen were to operate two secretariats each, adding that one would be cited at the local government headquarters and the other near Internally Displaced Persons camps.
According to him, the development will ensure that the council administration is brought closer to cater for the large number of Internally Displaced Persons in the areas.
He named the affected local government areas as Bama, Kukawa, Gwoza and Marte.
Shettima said the remaining three caretaker committee chairmen were to operate satellite secretariats within IDP camps in Maiduguri due to the ongoing military anti-terrorism operation in their areas.
He named the affected LGAs as Abadam, Mobbar and Guzamala.
Shettima said the action was aimed at laying foundation for return of civil authority in LGAs in the state as a post insurgency response.
He said: “Caretaker committee chairmen of the 20 LGAs should immediately work with the Deputy Governor, the Commissioner of Local Government and Emirate Affairs, the Commissioner for Reconstruction and Security Establishments to start operating from their reconstructed secretariats.
“The secretariats, whether permanent or satellite locations, must be fully functional with the chairmen and council officials operating from there.
“It must be readily available and accessible to the people they are appointed to serve.”
Shettima said the chairmen for Bama, Kukawa, Gwoza and Marte were to operate two satellite secretariats with each secretariat manned by some senior and local government officials.
“The chairmen must rotate their presence in between the two secretariats,” Shettima said.
Shettima explained that gone were the days when chairmen sat in Maiduguri to operate from their rented homes.
He said: “I know some people may be wondering why I have issued directive for Bama, Gwoza, Kukawa and Marte to operate two satellite secretariats instead of just asking them to operate in their headquarters alone.
“The reason they have to open secretariat in Maiduguri is because this time around, we are putting chairmen and officials of local government areas as supervisors of the education, healthcare and general welfare of their people, especially those at IDP camps.
“We will not have good reasons to hold chairmen accountable if we sent them to their LG headquarters only, whereas they have majority of their people in Maiduguri.
“I will hold Chairmen responsible if I hear any complaints on shortages or lack of food, water, access to primary healthcare or absence of teachers at any IDP camp unless it is evident that they had made frantic efforts to bring such cases to the notice of appropriate authorities.
“Chairmen must therefore come up with rosters 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 to spend their nights at IDP camps for maximum supervision and welfare of affected persons.
“The presence of government officials in IDP camps will help build the confidence of displaced persons as they go through their healing process.
“It is a must that at all times, there must be at least one or two officials stationed in these camps to interface between the local councils and IDPs.”
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