Social Protection: CISLAC Convenes Stakeholders on Resource Mobilization in Yobe

Mr. Salaudeen of CISLAC making a presentation 

 From  JOE Hemba 

Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre in collaboration with Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria with support from the European Union have convened a meeting of stakeholders in Yobe State to explore alternative ways of funding Social Protection projects. 

The meeting which was held today, Thursday at Cedars event centre  Damaturu had in attendance all the relevant stakeholders identified that can pull both resources and better legislation that will provide a solid frame work for alternative funding in the social protection sector of the state. 

The resource mobilizations initiative of CISLAC is coming at the time that Yobe State Government having realized the urgency to tackle poverty and vulnerability in the state set up the foundations of a state social protection policy in support of the pro-poor agenda.

 According to the Conflict Advisor of CISLAC, Mr. Salaudeen Hashimu, “the consultative forum is part of a social investment program, the government may consider increasing the budgetary allocation to enhance a more coordinated, integrated social protection program”.

 Mr. Salaudeen disclosed “Despite these efforts, major challenges remain. Where does the funding for a sustained program come from?”. 

 Why stating the objectives of the meeting, Mr. Salaudeen explained the issue of resource mobilization for social protection needs to be provided with a solid legislative platform for alternative funding rather than the former way f doing things. 

 “What we have gathered here is basically to put together relevant agencies to look at the issue of social protection and resource mobilization and how we can push together an efficient legislation process other than what we have seen in the past. 

Participants during the meeting

“We have come to realized that there have been several failed attempts to put together a social protection structure in the past but we feel that this time around it is very important to be more coordinated and responsive by pushing for a legislation. That is why we feel that while we are putting a legislative to be put in place, we also have to design a framework for funding. This strategy will mean that there is still need to find an alternative approach to funding the process. That is why we are here to brainstorm and put together a process for actualising that goal,” he explained. 

 He noted that the meeting was deliberately targeted at members of the state House of Assembly, the ministry of budget and planning, civil societies and other relevant stakeholders so as to have a reboots conversation and achieve the goal.

 He added that; “Advocacy for a social protection agency to demonstrate political will and sustainability on the project require a ‘statutory channel’ for funding. The government must get this very clear from the onset. It is expected that Social Protection legislation will take into consideration a deliberate agency that manages, administers, and operationalises social protection rather than the current inter-agency coordination currently in place as a more robust, effective, and efficient approach.

 “The advocacy from an integrated delivery of social protection legislation to reflect inclusion, ownership, and funding regime. This structure has the potential of warehousing various interventions that might be coming into the state under the lenses of social protection. This is the more reason why such a forum is designed,” he said. 

The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Lawan Mirwa was represented at the even by the House leader, Hon. Bukar Mustapha who pledge the commitment of the State House of Assembly to ensure the speedily passage of what he described as “proactive laws”

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Union Grounds Legislative Activities in Yobe State

The Protesting workers today at the Yobe State House of Assembly Complex

From JOE Hemba

Yobe State members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) joined their collogues across the country to seal off the state House of Assembly.

The Union Members locked the gate of the main entrance into the Assembly complex grounding legislative activities in compliance with the directives from their National Executives to embark on indefinite strike action over the non-implementation of the Financial Autonomy act of 2018 and Presidential Order 10, 2020 by the Federal Government.

Our correspondent who monitored the action of the members observed that member of the State House of Assembly were calling some of the union members to confirmed if the gate of the House was truly closed.

No members of the state House of Assembly was on ground to address the protesting workers, but investigation revealed that even the members of the House of Assembly are in support of the state.

The Chairman of PASSAN Yobe State Zanna Ali told  ImpactOnlineNigeria  that they were complying with the directives of their bosses from the National body.

“We took this action because we want the federal government to implement the financial autonomy. We joined the strike because it is a nationwide strike, we want our demands met, the financial autonomy is constitutional.

The protesters

“This is all that we want; it’s almost two years now the President assented to the Bill and we are yet to see anything. There will be no sitting today because we locked the legislative entrance, there’s no sitting today.

 The Union  leaders disclosed that they were left with no option than to embark of the strike action after exhausting all other options with the Federal government.

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World Water Day: How World Bank-MCRP is Sustaining Water Supply in Yobe

Safe and clean water provided in Yobe Rural Communities by MCRP

 From JOE Hemba

 Water is the most common of all natural resources of over the world. It is crucial for human existence as well as other use. An adequate supply of “clean” water is one of the most basic human needs yet, its one that is not met for more than half of the world’s population. 

According to various statistics, one-half to two-thirds of the world’s population does not have access to adequate quantities of safe drinking water yet two - third of the surface of our globe is covered with water.

Food supply and adequate nutrition also depend on adequate water. Apparently there is enough water around when we take the mighty rivers and the oceans into consideration but it will be a gross mistake to take the supply of water for human use for granted. Many developing nations not only have population and pollution issues, but also serious water related problems.

 Nigeria, African's most populated country, with, over 200 million people, has limited water supply not only in the arid to semiarid north, but also in the southern region along the Atlantic Ocean. Access to safe water and sanitation is a major challenge in Nigeria. 

Data from the 2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by Federal Government of Nigeria and UNICEF indicates a 29% increase in access to rural water supply, from 25% in 1990 (JMP) to 54% in 2017. Extending access to improved sources of water to currently unserved population by 2030 will require huge investments.

Some community dwellers with their animals enjoying water in one of the boreholes provided by MCRP in Yobe State

 The report has however observed that lack of effective ownership and Maintenance (O&M) culture at the state level and Local Government Wash Departments/Units at the local governments level has caused huge and frequent breakdown of existing water supply systems at those levels. 

A recent world bank conducted WASH Poverty Diagnostic study reveals that 46% of all water schemes in Nigeria are non-functional (as of 2015) and nearly 30% fail in the first year of operation after construction.

 It further reveals that low access to improved water coupled with poor sustainability and low functionality of existing inventory of water supply schemes will further swell the huge budgetary resources required to meet the SDG target on universal access to basic water supply by 2030,”

 According to the Project Coordinator of MCRP, Mr. Musa Idi Jidawa,  the low functionality of the water facilities is attributed to “lack of preventive maintenance, poor quality or non-availability of spare parts, non-availability of trained local area mechanics, absence of caretakers or lack of skills amongst the caretakers, lack of community ownership, vandalization by miscreants,”, stressing that, “there is the urgent need to address the key reasons for low functionality of water facilities so that the communities can get safe and clean drinking water close to their homes” .

Set up by the World Bank to mitigate the impact of Boko Haram destruction on both human and infrastructural needs of the northeast region in the BAY states(Borno, Adamawa and Yobe), The World Bank’s Multi-sectoral Crisis Recovery Project(MCRP) apart from other sectors has made deliberate efforts and huge investments in the area of safe water supply in Yobe State.

 Going by the specifics, MCRP Yobe has so far provided transitional and livelihood support, peace-building and social cohesion interventions, technical support/capacity building and rehabilitation of basic service delivery infrastructure for restoration of essential services, through reconstructing destroyed public buildings, roads and bridges, rehabilitating health centres, schools and water facilities across 17 LGAs in Yobe State. 

 The Journey So Far in Water intervention 

 The Project Coordinator of the MCRP Yobe State Mr. Musa Idi Jidawa while commemorating the 2021 World Water Day believes that the project has taken bold steps  for the provision and sustainability of water facilities and their maintenance in the state. 

Mr. Jidawa in a statement noted that: “In the water sector, MCRP Yobe PCU has implemented the provision of ten (10) new solar powered boreholes, rehabilitation of Twenty Two (22) solar powered boreholes with livestock drinking trough, rehabilitation of Twenty One (21) solar powered boreholes with reticulation and rehabilitation of One Hundred and Seventy (170) hand pumps across 17 local government areas of the state. All the sub-projects are either completed or at completion stage, and in areas where projects have been completed and handed over to communities, such facilities are maximally benefitting both residents and livestock with efficient sources of water, provided in accordance with MCRP’s build back better principle.

“To ensure effective operation and maintenance of WASH facilities, community trainable and interested individuals were identified and trained on Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM) to carry out maintenance and routine, minor repairs to prevent water facilities becoming nonfunctional as a result of maintenance and operational needs that can be addressed by communities themselves. 

“Equally, MCRP Yobe PCU organized a statewide water sector stakeholders’ engagement on sustainability and functionality of community WASH facilities in Yobe State, aimed at sharing sustainability experiences and practices towards developing a comprehensive sustainability framework for Yobe State.

 Going forward, the project coordinator expressed the commitment of the program in the provision of access to clean water in line with the State Investment Plan(SIP)

 “MCRP will continue to pursue access to quality water across communities in the state, as contained in Yobe State Investment Plan (SIP) which is a top priority of His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni administration’s determination to rebuild take Yobe to greater heights,” Mr. Jidawa pledged.

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Boko Haram: Yobe Monarch Drums Support for Army Operation

Brig. Gen. Adamu Nura with the Emir of Damaturu during visit visit at the palace 

From  JOE Hemba, 

The Emir of Damaturu, His Royal Highness Alhaji Dr Shehu Hashimi II Ibn Umar  El-Amin Kanemi has promised total support for Army Operation in the State and the region to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

 

The royal father made the promise when the new sector Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Brig. Gen.Adamu Nura paid him a familiarisation visit at his palace in Damaturu yesterday.

 

“I am and of course the traditional institution in Yobe State is   in total support of the ongoing military operations especially Operation Tura Takaibango that was launched by the Nigerian Army to  destroying all Boko Haram criminals/ Islamic States West Africa Province enclaves in the State”, the Emir said.

 

The Emir furthered  assured  the traditional institutions in the state will continue to render support, cooperation and partnership with the Army in the area of strategic information and sensitization of the locals on issues of security consciousness and awareness.

 

The Royal Father while congratulating the commander for his appointment also commended Gov. Mai Mala Buni for his continuous support for the army to succeed.

 

 In his remarks, the new Commander Sector 2 Operation Lafiya Dole Brig Gen Adamu Nura said his mission at the palace was to familarised with the traditional institution and seek their support to end the over a decade Boko Haram crisis which has ravaged the region.

 

The Sector Commander further assured that the Sector under his watch is determined to partner with all security agencies in the State to tackle the menace of Boko Haram insurgents whose signature is violence, adding that “their ideologies are  alien to Islam and humanity”.

 

 The Commander also  promised to rout out the enemies in line with the Chief of Army Staff Vision to have "a Nigerian Army that is Repositioned to Professionally Defeat all Adversaries in a joint Environment".

The Emir of Damaturu(Middle) with Brig. Gen Nura(immediate right) and other officers during the courtesy call at the Emir's Palace 

The promised  that the Sector will ensure troops taking part in various operations in the State would be guided by the Professional Codes of Conduct, Rules of Engagement and the respect for human rights.

 

 He called on the  traditional rulers to remain vigilant and be security conscious, as suspected terrorists/criminals may be fleeing from military operations and finding safe haven amidst their communities, while charging them  to report any suspicious activity or movement to the nearest military formation or other security agencies for prompt action.

Similarly, the Sector Commander also visited Special Army Super Camp 1 Ngamdu, Forward Operation Base in Potiskum and Kukareta where he addressed and charged them to be at alert at all times and eschew any negative attitude capable of denting the good image of the Nigerian Army.

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