The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has donated 70 patrol vehicles and five ambulances to Army and Navy to secure the Northeast region. The decade long Boko Haram insurgency in region; has destroyed over 35,000 lives with loss of $9.2 billion (N3.412 trillion) worth of property in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. While presenting the vehicles and ambulances Thursday in Maiduguri, NEDC Managing Director, Mohammed Alkali disclosed that; “Without lasting security, peace and stability; the commission cannot perform its short and long term statutory functions. According to him, the long term functions include early recovery, resilience, peace building and socioeconomic development of insurgency affected states. He said the North-East Security Summit and Civil-Security Cooperation in Humanitarian Intervention workshop; recommended that security forces at war front require urgent logistics support. He said that the support will enable military and other security agencies overcome security challenges in region. “Today’s event of distribution of patrol vehicles could achieve lasting peace and stability in Northeast,” he said. He said the restoration of livelihoods of displaced persons, could only be attained when security and stability prevail in the insurgency affected states. “There will be vicious cycle of hunger of hunger, ill health, sufferings, depression with persistent humanitarian crises,” he warned. The National Security Advisor (NSA), Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) said that the resurgence of terrorist activities in the northeast; after several years of reliable lull; has put the military and other security agencies in difficult situation for several reasons. He therefore; said: “any assistance from any quarter; like the commission donating patrols vehicles and ambulances is welcome.” He said promotion of stability in relations between military and civilian populace in northeast, is part of mandate of commission. According to him, the commission has demonstrated confidence in Armed Forces and security agencies by providing multi-dimensional support to their efforts. He said this is in addition to the commission’s collaboration with the office of the NSA. Speaking on donated five ambulances, he said: “The tertiary health institutions in region; have not been left out, but what the commission is doing is for itself. “The commission is boosting the capacities of Stakeholders in the security and health sectors.” President of Senate, Sen. Ahmed Lawan also said that the commission should collaborate with the Borno state government to overcome the challenges of reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement (RRR) of dozens of destroyed communities and about 1.8 million displaced persons in camps. Lawan, who was represented by Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume, urged the commission to ‘rebuilt and rehabilitate’ federal roads, including the ones that link neighbouring countries of Niger, Cameroon and Chad. Governor Babagana Zulum, at the presentations of vehicles and ambulance said: “The only option to forge ahead amid over a decade long insecurity, is the restoration of peace through continuous reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement process in Borno state.
