Despite challenges, Borno IDPs in Edo blazing the trail in education

A first-time visitor to the Home for the Needy in Uhogua in Edo State would easily mistake it for a rural community settlement due to its population.

Most of the inhabitants were however displaced from the North Eastern part of the country as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.

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Internally Displaced Persons from Borno State constitute 90 percent of the inmates in the camp, housing over 3,000 inmates including men, women and children.

Our correspondent, who visited the camp, observed that the camp is divided into two sections for males and females and the distance is about 100 meters apart.

One of the standing rules in the camp is that men don’t go into the women’s section and vice versa. If there is need for anyone to go to the other section, the camp officials must accompany such visit.

Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, the coordinator, said the reason for such rules was to avoid any kind of abuse or scandal in the camp.

The buildings in the camp, Daily Trust Saturday observed, are made of brick and wood in addition to two tents, but the wooden buildings are more in numbers.

The home also has a primary and secondary school for victims and members of Uhogua host community.

Our reporter, who went round the dormitories, observed that the biggest building houses about 300 persons while the medium one accommodates 200 persons and the small one over 100 people.

An inmate, Bazigla Haruna, told our reporter that he has been sleeping on a mat since he arrived the camp six years ago.

During lunch time, it was noticed that the IDPs eat in groups of 50 persons. People were seen leaving the kitchen with basins of jollof rice. “Each basin is meant for 50 persons,” said Rachel Samuel, one of the IDPs.

“To ensure that every one is satisfied, children are grouped together while adults are also grouped together with men and women eating differently,” she said.

Daily Trust Saturday gathered that young people are enrolled in schools while the women are encouraged on skill acquisition by the coordinator of the camp.

Many of the inmates it was learnt are in 100, 200 and 300 Levels in various universities, studying medicine and surgery, engineering, accounting, law, nursing among others.

Speaking with Daily Trust Saturday, Nathaniel Ibrahim, a 300-Level student of law at the Edo University, Iyamho, said their coming to Edo State six years ago has not been in vain.

“I ran to this place six years ago when Boko Haram attacked our village but today, I am in the university.”

He said his education is being threatened now due to lack of fund.

“We are appealing to our governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, to come to our aid because we would not want our dream truncated due to lack of funds.

“Many of us are in 200 and 300 Level studying Medicine, Engineering, Accountancy, Nursing, amongst others.

“Also, others who passed WAEC and JAMB and are awaiting admission, also need money to actualise their dreams.

“We are calling on our governor to assist us by paying our school fee and awarding scholarships so that those of us already in school can graduate, while those who pass WAEC and JAMB can get admission,” he said.

On her part, Rifikatu Ali, a 200 Level law student lamented that they are preparing for another session but faced with the challenge of fund.

“We are schooling on people’s goodwill; people donate money so that we can get education. That is why we are calling on our governor and other organisations in charge of IDPs to come to our aid so that after our education, we can help to develop Borno State.

“Most of us are studying in private schools and our school fees is about N1m and above. We still need money to pay school fees, buy books and other items,” she said.

Also speaking, Bazigla Haruna, a 200 Level student of Medicine and Surgery, said he doesn’t know how they will resume due to lack of fund.

“We are at the stage where we don’t want our education to suffer set back.”

He said he came to the camp six years ago after their house was attacked by Boko Haram insurgents, leaving them in disarray.

“Everybody ran to different places but I was left alone not knowing where to go to, before I heard of the Edo IDP camp.

“I came down here dejected, and my mission was to have a quiet place where there is no sound of bomb and gun shots but the pastor kept advising us that we can still achieve something and so should not allow the incident to weigh us down,” he said.

He said it was difficult for him comprehend due to the trauma experienced in Borno State. “I have seen Boko Haram eye ball to eye ball. I slept in the bush to avoid being killed. But because of our pastor’s encouragement, I started from SS2 and God willing, I made my papers. Today, I am in 200 Level studying Medicine and Surgery. Five of us here are studying Medicine.

“This is why we are calling on our governor to come to our aid because our pastor is trying and the load is too much for him to carry alone.”

Also speaking, Ladi Solomon, 45, appealed to the Borno State government and other organisations to assist them with food and other household items because their stores are empty.

“We need food because to feed this multitude of people is not easy, and our pastor is really trying for us. So, we need help from individuals, government and corporate bodies to live a normal life.”

Rachel Samuel, a widow who lost her husband and two children to Boko Haram, said she came to the camp in 2014.

She said staying in the camp has some how helped her overcome her trauma of losing all that she had in Borno.

“Since I came here, we have been trained on different vocations. I have completed my tailoring training, waiting to be empowered. This is why we are calling for help so that we can establish our own businesses and live independent lives,” she said.

She said they wanted a situation where they will not depend on any body when they eventually return to Borno State one day.

“We need help in many areas; we need medicine in our health centre, school books for children, food and clothes. We are basically living on donations from people,” she said.

Speaking to Daily Trust on feeding, Rachel Samuel said they eat whatever is available to them.

“As you can see, we are eating rice for lunch and each basin takes care of 50 people, and in order to avoid cheating, children eat together while adults eat together. Eating bread and egg has become a tall dream. I can’t recollect when last it was eaten in the camp.”

On his part, Wabi El-gide, from Askira Uba Local Government Area, who came to the camp in 2016, said the coordinator has been very supportive in making sure that they don’t go hungry.

“Since we came here, we have been law abiding and we are enjoying this place.

“We heard what our governor is doing and we have been fasting and praying for him to succeed. We pray that God will expose anybody that is against the good things he is doing.”

The graduate of Ramat Polytechnic said he ran away from Borno State to avoid being killed.

He said, “I am a graduate of electrical engineering and a teacher in the secondary school in the camp. I hope to return to Borno State one day to help in rebuilding the state. We have so many needs but the most pressing is food, then education and accommodation. As you can see, our dormitories are not comfortable but we don’t have any option.

“As many as 300 people sleep in the large dormitory, 200 in the medium one. All the rooms here are over crowded but we don’t have any option as long as we no longer hear the sound of bomb,” he said.

The Home Coordinator, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, said the pressing need of the home now is food, money and drug.

“We need food to take care of the over 3000 inmates here and money to take care of the education of the over 50 inmates who are in various higher institutions. Over 100 passed WAEC and JAMB. All of them need to complete their education.

“This is why we are calling on state governments, well meaning individuals and organisation to come to our aid.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman Northern Patriotic Front, Alhaji Ali Abacha, who visited the camp, said they were there to ascertain how the displaced persons from Borno State are faring, so that they can write a comprehensive report to the state government to take action.

“We have seen how they are living, we have inspected their dormitories and classes and we would convey our findings to the governor who will look into the issue because they can’t drop out of school because of money,” he said.

Abacha assured them that Governor Zulum, who is rebuilding Borno State, will attend to their needs so that they can also join in rebuilding the state after graduation.