The Zamfara Social Protection Platform (ZSPP) has appealed to the state government to appropriate fund in its 2022 budget for welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
ZSPP, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), in a position paper on Friday in Gusau, said that the fund would help to address other social protection issues.
The position paper was presented at a town hall meeting on the 2022 budget by the platform’s Chairman, Mr Nasiru Biyabiki.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ZSPP is a platform comprising members of the CSOs, media and the academia; supported by the the Ukaid funded and Save the Children International (SCI).
SCI is working to promote social protection issues in Zamfara.
The meeting titled: “Citizens inputs/Town Hall meeting on the preparation of 2022 budget” is organised by the state Ministry for Budget and Economic Planning in collaboration with UNICEF.
The paper said: ”Considering the importance attached to this meeting, ZSPP, therefore, finds it imperative to come forward with a presentation of some social protection related pending and emerging issues that we felt need to be given serious attention and consideration in the 2022 budget.
“Some are there for implementation, some taking further necessary action while some for possible inclusion into the 2022 budget.
“There is urgent need for attaching importance to create mechanism of coming to the IDPs’ aid at an emergency resettlement and rehabilitation centres to be situated at strategic locations across the state.
“We noticed low and ineffective empowerment mechanisms for the victims of banditry, especially the IDPs.
“There is need to officially designate functional IDP camps to be situated possibly at Gusau, the state capital.
“Other related issues that need to be considered in the 2022 budget are adoption of the social protection implementation framework yet-to-be inaugurated, state social protection council, printing, launching and dissemination of the state social protection.”
According to the CSO, other issues are passage of the state disability bill into law, passage of the social protection bill into law, dissemination of the circular that mandated all social protection implementing MDAs to man their beneficiaries from the State Social Register (SOCU),
“Inadequate manpower manning the public health facilities in the state and settlement of debts accrued from NECO/WASSCE examinations fees,” the organisation said.
The CSO noted that the meeting had demonstrated the commitment of the present administration in the state to carry everyone along.
“On our part, ZSPP is working with support from Save the SCI with our eye on achieving sustainable development for all.
“This is a platform that is strictly concerned with the interest of the poor, the vulnerable, people with special needs, cutting across all demographic groups (women, children, old/aged and youth),” it said.
However, the Zamfara government said that the number of IDPs in the state had increased to more than 600,000 people following sustained bandit attacks and kidnapping in different parts of the state.
Gov. Bello Matawalle, while speaking at the sideline of the just concluded United Nations general Assembly sought for international support to address the humanitarian challenge. (NAN)
