NGO organizes workshop on policy implementation of demands of victims of insurgency

By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –

Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development has organized a one-day policy workshop for the implementation of charter of demands from victims and survivors of Boko Haram insurgency and deradicalized women and girls.

Stakeholders from security agencies, federal and state ministries as well as agencies and commissions attended the workshop which held on Friday at Golden Sand Hotels Conference Hall , Maiduguri.

The Executive Director of Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin said that the rationale behind the workshop was to interact with the participants on the implementation of policy on the demands made by the survivors, victims and deradicalized women and girls affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

She added that the workshop was aimed also at getting feedbacks from the actors on the policy formulation and implementation of the requests made by the three groups which have been presented to the state government through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

Hajiya Hamsatu added that the workshop is aimed at assessing and identify areas of policy matters and strategies relative to the demands of the survivors, victims and deradicalized women and girls as well as to ascertain the gaps between the extent policy implementation by the state actors and how to bridge the identified gaps.

She, however, stressed that the overall purpose was to streamline the policy implementation document by way of producing a blueprint paper on how to harmonized the demands and ensure laws are made for policy statements and implementation .

The facilitator and monitoring & evaluation consultant of the project, Dr. Lawan Balami, in his presentation, briefed the participants on the purpose, scope, rationale behind the workshop as well as the specific charter of demands of each of the three groups.

He also explained that the policy document require functional collaboration and synergy with security and state actors (Armed Forces of Nigeria, police, NSCDC, CJTF, others) as well as non state actors (NGOs, CSOs, extremist groups, multinationals, labour unions, media, religious groups amongst others)

The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Professor Haruna Dlakwa, who is also a Consultant and Policy Analyst, in his paper presentation titled,“Policy gaps in Borno State Towards Addressing Present Demands”, said there are numbers of policy gaps despite the initiatives of the state government in the implementation of the charter of demands from survivors, victims of Boko Haram insurgency and deradicalized women and children.

Professor Diakwa, highlighted one of the key existing policies of the Borno State Government – Borno Model– which details Governor Babagana Zulum’s passion for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as the repatriation of Borno Indigenes from Niger Republic, Chad and Cameroon Republic.

Others include the gradual closure of IDP camps in Borno State, mass Housing, establishing schools, hospitals, markets and basic infrastructures in affected areas.

He noted that feedbacks from government and security agencies on existing policy frameworks in their respective MDAs and agencies are capable of addressing the identified demands.

Professor Dlakwa added that the feedbacks from the security agencies and government establishments would provide opportunities for a collaborative policy review development with Allamin Foundation.

On their parts, the participants at the workshop, however, assured of functional collaborative strategies and mechanisms with the foundation and also pledged to support and strengthen synergy with the foundation on protection of citizen rights, amongst others.

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