By Tanko Mohammed
Restive Jema’a Local Government Area (LGA) , Kaduna State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen security in the area.
Mr Peter Averik, the chairman of the LGA signed on behalf of the council, while Mr Ugbo Audu, the Community Development Facilitator, North East Regional Initiative (NERI) signed for USAID Nigeria.
Speaking during the ceremony in Kafanchan, Audu said USAID/OTI Nigeria and Lake Chad Basin had agreed to install 20 solar street lights on identified “blind spots’’ in the council.
He said that a two kilometre fence with concertina barricade wire would be constructed along Zikpak border, which he described as “porous’’.
According to Audu, in addition to providing two motorcycles for prompt communication and mobilisation, USAID will also train the community on early warning signs for crisis.
“We are equally going to implement programmes that will help the people recover from trauma and other losses inflicted on the community during recent attacks,’’ he said
Audu explained that the agency’s interventions would be carried out in phases, noting that Zikpak was considered first because an assessment carried out showed the community as most prone to attack.
Responding, Averik thanked USAID for the intervention, describing it as timely considering the prevailing realities in the area.
He assured that facilities and materials provided would be used according to specifications.
It will be recalled that Zikpak community in Jema’a LGA came under attack by gunmen in July in which a number of persons were killed and property worth millions of naira destroyed.
