Presidency Intervenes Over Borno IDPs Malnutrition, Summons Shettima
The Presidency on Wednesday intervened in the reported cases of poor conditions of Internally Displaced Persons Camps in Borno State. The Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima was sighted in the Presidential Villa in what is believed to be in connection with the reported cases of malnourished children and deaths of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in government camps in the State.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari, met with the state governor, Ibrahim Shettima, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari. Doctors Without Borders- (Médecins Sans Frontières), MSF, an international humanitarian aid organisation had last week released a statement alongside photographs stating that about 24,000 IDPs were in dire health situation with at least 30 people, mostly children dying every day.
The President was said to be angry at the report wondering why after billions of Naira from government as well as donor agencies and philanthropists, the situation was that dire Shettima who was accompanied by officials of the state was seen?emerging from the office of the Chief of Staff.
He however declined to take questions from State House correspondents when approached for comments on the allegations and why he was at the Presidential Villa. He simply said “This was a private visit”.
Shettima, had alleged that some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were taking huge advantage of the pains of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state and defrauding foreign philanthropists under the guise of trying to help victims of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Shettima had paid a visit to Bama camp upon receiving reports that hundreds of malnourished persons recently rescued from Boko Haram captivity were dying in a camp in Bama, 75km from Maiduguri, the state capital.
He had ordered the relocation of 61 children with acute condition of malnutrition to the intensive care unit of the Umaru Shehu Ultramodern Hospital in Maiduguri where they are currently being attended to.
Another set of over 400 persons with lesser cases of malnourishment were also moved out of the camp to a special care unit for proper feeding and medication.
