President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed happiness that the worst of the Boko Haram insurgency is over, but regretted with sadness that many of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who would like to return to their homes have no such homes to return to.
“Sadly, many have nothing to return to. They have lost everything to the insurgency. In addition, social and public services are also absent due to the massive destruction of public and private
infrastructure.”
The President,who spoke today, Wednesday when he inaugurated the Presidential Committee of the North East Initiative (PCNI) at the Aso Presidential Villa, said however that his government is committed to providing effective coordination and guidance towards addressing the humanitarian crisis, the resettlement and reconstruction of the North East region.
He acknowledged that the devastation to human lives and livelihoods by the insurgency in
the North East is severe, “with more than an estimated 20,000 persons killed, an estimated 2.4 million persons displaced and billions of naira worth of personal and public assets destroyed.
“Many humanitarian intervention efforts, national and international, have worked over time to assist in coping with the task of bringing succour to the IDPs in and outside the region, with most of these efforts aimed at providing short-term emergency assistance and relief to the victims of the violence and displacement. However, there remains a need for better coordination of these efforts particularly the humanitarian resettlement and reconstruction of the region.”
President Buhari said that the PCNI, under the Chairmanship of retired General T.Y.
Danjuma, would have as its members Nigerians who have been carefully chosen from a wide spectrum of stakeholders.
“The Committee will be the apex coordinating body for all interventions in the region including those by the public, private, national and international development partners. The Committee is domiciled in the Presidency and is charged with responsibility for developing the strategy and
implementation framework for rebuilding the North East region.
“The PCNI would not exist in perpetuity or isolation. Rather, it will exist for a period of 3 years, where after it is envisaged that a long-term regional development framework or entity may be established.”
Buhari said that PCNI will be funded through Federal, State and Local Government appropriation, as well as funds from the private sector and international development partners.
He asked members of the Committee to approach their task with dedication, commitment, accountability and transparency.
“The Committee should take a quick look at the conditions of the IDPs and take urgent remedial measures to alleviate these conditions. I also call on all stakeholders to give the PCNI their maximum support to enable it to deliver on its mandate.” [myad]
