Proceedings of 10th Asia - Pacific Business and Humanities Conference
22 - 23 February 2016, Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
ISBN: 978-1-925488-00-5
Involving the United Nation and Completely Foreign Firms in
Reconstruction of Demolished Houses in Bama and Affected
North Eastern Towns and Villages: A Strategy against
Corruption in Process of Rehabilitating Victims of
Boko-Haram Insurgency
Baba Gana Kolo
Bama is one of the twenty seven local government areas of Borno state and one of the worse of destroyed
properties including houses, cars and others, as well as thousands of its people being killed, and all its
inhabitants made Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria and refugees overseas. It has an estimated
population of more than 300,000 with about equal number of housing units destroyed by the insurgents
between 2009 and 2015.
As we all know corruption is a root cause of the emergence and perpetuation of Boko-Haram
insurgency in the region. The eradication of Boko-Haram insurgency depends on the adoption and
application of laudable principles against corruption and its implementation. It was inability of adopting and
full-scale implementation of anti-corruption policies that actually prevented the seeing an end of the
insurgency in all times.
The hope is bold now than ever before because of clear conviction upon everybody that General
Buhari is determined to work uncorrupt; fight corruption by sparing nobody no matter who involved in sharp
practices. While efforts must be geared towards recovery of stolen money by soldiers and associates in the
name of fighting insurgency in the North East since 2009 to date, there must be clearer vision against same
or similar individuals in the name of authorities taking similar undue advantages to steal more again in the
name of rehabilitating, reforming and reconstructing affected areas.
Several victims accessible to me disclosed that; while Borno state government claimed #650million
spent monthly on the feeding of the IDP’s in Maiduguri, they are empirically underfed in the camps. Many
disclosed they receive food only once or twice per day with very poor ingredients. Thousands of foodstuffs
are moved and shown on television together with donated cows but many could not sight a piece of meat
on their dish for weeks. It is not surprising camp officials together with their supplier the Borno state
emergency management agency officials are appearing very unusual at a period of sorrow. From above it
is a clear opening to suspect authorities involved on the controversies. What happen to the #650million
monthly removed from government purse in the name of feeding IDP’s?. What is the extent of corrupt
involvement of the IDP’s camp officials, particularly the monitoring body BOSEMA?. There is an urgent
need for probing the agency and their extensions. If found of stealing from IDP’s vouchers they should
return it according to the orders of EFCC; ICPC; CCB; PPB acts, and punished them, accordingly.
To avoid mischievous reconstruction of the affected buildings there is need for geographical and
Sociological findings and reports of the actual damages. Involve neutral intellectuals to give reliable and
scientific pictures of the damages; corroborate the reports with those of the National Population
Commission 2006 census captured reports.
Furthermore involve neutral bodies in the reconstruction to avoid victimizing victims again. Involve
the United Nation, G-8 nations and globally neutral firms and agencies to reconstruct the houses according
to the damages but improved in quality of building plans on each piece or unit of destroyed houses. It is my
singularly opinion that it is more risky to involve any indigenous building company for the reconstruction
because of the uncleansened corrupt contractors of our country. It is my personal conviction that the UN
will not allow cheating of its funds by the coordinated firms in the name of reconstruction of destroyed
houses of victims of insurgency in the North East.
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Dr. Baba Gana Kolo, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri,
Nigeria.