Various efforts to resettle hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) occasioned by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents in the north east Nigeria are ongoing. But on Tuesday, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo stated that the government was focused on building capacity for the displaced persons. SADIQ ABUBAKAR reports.
The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has assured Nigerians, particularly, the Internally Displaced Persons IDPs and all development partners and international donor agencies that the federal government of Nigeria is ever ready and determined to build capacity that will coordinate, communicate and rehabilitate the ravaged communities in the northeast region.
The VP stated this Tuesday in Maiduguri while declaring open a 2- day North East Humanitarian Multi Stakeholders Engagement NEHMSE 2015 forum held at the Multi Purpose Hall of the Government House Maiduguri as the Presidential Committee on North East Intervention (PCNI) proposed a budget of N233 billion for the shot, immediate and ling terms post Boko haram insurgency reconstruction and rehabilitation of the communities ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east sub region.
The chairman of the Presidential Committee on the North-East Intervention, General Theophilus Danjuma (Rtd) disclosed this when President Muhammadu Buhari ably represented by the Vice President, Professor. Yemi Osinbajo declared open the 2 day workshop on North-East Humanitarian Multi Stakeholders Engagement with a theme “Coordination, Communication and Cooperation” held at the Government House Maiduguri Yesterday.
General Damjuma who was represented by. Alhaji Mohammed Danjuma of PINE said the carnage in the north-east by the Boko Haram terrorists required proper coordination, cooperation and communication to alleviate the sufferings of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the reconstruction of destroyed communities.
He said the Federal Government and other stakeholders are seriously determined to manage the humanitarian crisis in the region and very soon the IDPs will return to their communities after reconstruction of their destroyed communities.
While declaring the occasion, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo said “we are in Maiduguri to show humanity and gave milk of human kindness to our brothers and sisters whom for six years have been ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency killing, maiming and abducting innocent people.” The Vice President also stated that his team was also in Maiduguri to strengthen the capacity of civil organization and to develop the capacity of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and individuals, so as to put the post insurgency construction on a sound pedestal while urging the participants to brainstorm properly and come out with a formidable framework on the intervention marshal plan implementation for the ravaged communities and displaced people who have the right to live and work in their our land but the evil threatened them.
Also speaking, the United Nations (UN) Country Representative, Miss Ratti Ndlovu said “Nigeria has the capacity to restore the shattered lives of the IDPs and reconstruct their destroyed communities, so that they go back and continue with their normal lives”.
“We as managers of humanitarian crisis we will continue to partner with the Federal Government, state governments of the North East and other development partners to restore quality life ans living to the IDPs and reconstruct their destroyed communities.
The forum also afford you the opportunity to have platform to discuss what is can be achievable through communication, coordination and cooperation”.
In his remarks, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state said” in the drive to restore life back to the destroyed communities, the state government has created a ministry of rehabilitation and reconstruction, which has since commenced the reconstruction of destroyed towns of Benesheik, Auno and Jakana in Kaga and Konduga local governments respectively”.
While commending the efforts of Buharis administration towards ending the Boko haram insurgency in the North-east, Shettima said that the Borno state government will continue to partner with the FG and other stakeholders in bringing life back to the destroyed communities.
He thanked the gallantry and resilient of the security agencies particularly, the military for bringing peace gradually back to the State and liberating those communities under the hold of the Boko haram insurgents in the past.
The governor added that very soon the war will be over as the days of the insurgents are numbered while appreciating the concern and roles of the traditional rulers and other stakeholders like NEMA, SEMA and donor agencies for their services , contribution, support and assistance.
Earlier, the Chairman, Borno State Emergency Management Agency BOSEMA, Engineer Satomi Ahmed has commended the federal government for its intervention and management of the over two million IDPs within and outside the State.
The NEMA Director General Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sidi said management of disasters whether natural or artificial is a challenge and noted that however the agency manages over 2 million IDPs across the northeast with Borno state having 1.6 million IDPs.
He commended the efforts and support of all the State governments in the northeast, development partners and donor agencies in the northeast assuring that the agency will not relent in its efforts and support to reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes of the State governments.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 12, Bauchi Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin has Monday said that days of Boko Haram insurgents are numbered as police will police consider themselves as special and the insurgency a special war that NPF has to bargain with the Nigerian Army to end the insurgency.
The AIG who stated this Monday in Maiduguri while addressing men and officers of the Borno State Command at the Police Headquarters Maiduguri declared” the insurgents have been depleted and are on the run because they have been defeated while the insurgency should be taken with all serious more than before as they are just like wounded lions that are more dangerous now than before.”
Ogunsakin, who was in Maiduguri to boost the morale of the men of the Borno Police Command especially in their battle against the Boko Haram insurgency, said the insurgents will soon be a history but Nigerians need to be alerted to the new threats of the terrorists group soft target suicide bombing in places of worship.
He said they are more dangerous now than before as witnessed by the numerous explosions in mosques in Maiduguri and some parts of the Northeast region hatched by them.
Ogunsakin said it is a known fact that the insurgents would soon go into extinct with the combined efforts of the Nigerian security agencies to meet the December deadline of President Muhammadu Buhari “but everyone need to be on red alert to combat them as they are more dangerous now than in the past.”
He said recent happenings have shown that “just like wounded lions, the insurgents are deadlier and more dangerous than in the past,” but “this is a battle that our galant police officers are ready for and definitely are winning.”
The police boss, while warning the men of the Borno Police Command that he has zero tolerance for any act that will disrupt peace and orderliness in any of the states under his control, he said: “We must overwhelm any person(s) or group(s) that will rise to disrupt public peace.”
He said: “I urge you to continue to work assiduously and seek your cooperation and commitment towards ensuring that law and order is maintained in Borno State.”
Ogunsakin, who is in charge of Borno, Adamawa and Bauchi state police commands, told the police men and officers that: “It is important to let you know that the Nigeria Police has a key role, synergizing with other security agencies, in ensuring that peace is restored back to the entire North East.
“In this light it is expected that you will be at alert to the performance of your duties at this critical time. I will not condone any form of dereliction of duties from any officer under my control.”
He emphasized that all the men and officers of the Police command must respect the law and rules in police service, accept deployment, respect the seniors, be committed to duty as there is no room for corruption and indiscipline pointing out that, “over the years I have been involved in the fight against corruption and foremost of all, the Anti corruption Agencies. I will therefore deal decisively with men and officers who indulge in corrupt practices”.
“As you carry out your duties, either in IDPs camps or any other area, you may be deployed, you must all eschew any shape and corrupt acts that will drag the image of the Nigeria Police Force into disrepute “, Tunde said.
He further enjoined them to be professionals and perform their duties according to the Police order 237 especially on the use of firearms, respect the members of the public while assuring that the problems of welfare and recruitment of the men and officers of the NPF will be addressed accordingly as framework has been developed for regular and quick payment of all outstanding allowances and salaries and even the recurrent.
