The National Emergency Management Agency NEMA in partnership with Borno State Emergency Management Agency BOSEMA jointly demystified the news story broadcast and published on February 5th 2019 by various media outlets on IDPs protest due to food shortage as misleading and mendacious.
The chairman State Emergency Management Agency Hajiya Yabawa Kolo and Head of Emergency Food Distribution, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Commando Manga Salisu Danjuma have jointly alleged that IDPs at the teacher’s village camp, Maiduguri, Borno state, Northeast Nigeria took to the streets of the city as a result of lack of food items for the past 35 days is false and unreasonable.
Contrary to the media reports NEMA and SEMA wish to categorically inform members of the public that the protest has nothing to do with insufficient food items rather due to controversy surrounding the registration of new arrivals for onward distribution of food items by International committee of Red Cross Committee .The chairperson have said.
She however, believed the process was allegedly marred by the infiltration of members of the host communities who are not IDPs.
Yabawa Kolo said to put the record straight, since the massive displacement of people from Cross Kawwa , Baga and other villages from Northern Borno ,NEMA and SEMA had distributed significant amount of food and non-food items twice while SEMA provides them with condiments in line with feeding arrangements of internally displaced persons.
BOSEMA chairperson unveiled that the agency maintained communal feeding since their arrival at the camp to date .Adding that members of public to note that civil society organisations, international Non-Governmental Organizations and donors like King Salman Foundation have assisted in no small measures.
They therefore, consider the story lack objectivity, fairness and balance, which violate journalism ethics. Instead of media to conduct an independent validity check and balance the story with Head of Humanitarian Agencies, they swiftly published and broadcast the story one-sided.
Emergency agencies demands the immediate withdrawal of the story and apology and reiterated commitment in responding to emergency situation and provision of humanitarian support to the IDPs and those in distress within their area of responsibility. No amount of smear campaign will derail them from discharging their duties effectively. She added.
The executive of both SEMA and SEMA said their doors are always open to members of press for validity checks, balance and clarification of information to avoid compounding the already humanitarian crises in the state and northeast in General