President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned 500 housing units and teachers’ quarters in Maiduguri metropolis, the Borno state capital.
The houses built by the Federal and State governments are to accommodate Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and teachers in the metropolis.
Buhari unveiled the completed houses, yesterday (Thursday), in Maiduguri, to mark the 2022 World Humanitarian Day (WHD).
According to him, the best global humanitarian practices, comprise the creation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in Nigeria on August 21, 2019.
“As we observe WHD, I urged world leaders to pay tribute to all the works of life and nationalists that are advocating for life-saving aids,” he said, adding that the most vulnerable citizens are affected by manmade and natural disasters.
Besides, he added that the humanitarian day also reaffirms the commitments to reduce the effects of disasters, climate change and other misfortunes through the provisions of livelihoods support for the victims to live in dignity and comfort.
“One of the most innovative steps taken by our administration; was the coordination of humanitarian assistance efforts with the entrenchment of coordination of emergency humanitarian in line with international best practices.
He noted that this was to ensure strategic disaster mitigation, preparedness and responses, as well as the implementation of social inclusiveness and protection.
He lamented the disproportionate suffering of people during the over a decade Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.
He said that this led to establishment of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs in 2017.
According to him, the functions of the Ministry was to develop a master plan for the Northeast based on its assessments.
He said that the master plan comprises programmes and schemes to facilitate physical and socioeconomic development of the region.
He, therefore, directed the Commission to regularly liaise with the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), states and other development partners.
Buhari commended the efforts of the Northeast Governors for complementing the efforts of the Federal Government in the return and resettlement of IDPs and refugees to communities.
He called on the development partners to improve the resilience of the vulnerable population to meet their basic needs of life, while the Ministry pays attention to emerging issues, as displaced persons and refugees are returned and rehabilitated.
“The issues border on the increasing number of orphans and widows,” he said, as well as the recent explosion of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at Bama.
He, therefore, directed the Ministry, state governments and a committee under the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo to come up with programmes to respond to emerging challenges of IEDs and orphaned children.
The United Nations (UN) Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, said: “The humanitarian solutions to various humanitarian problems, is only peace.”
He added that women and girls are highly impacted by the crisis and other forms of suffering.
Schmale noted that opportunities would not be possible without the dedication and expertise of local actors.
Responding, Governor Babagana Zulum said: “We pay tributes to the scores of humanitarian workers who gave their lives and suffered injuries in the course of their work.
“They remain the true real-life heroes for all of us.
“We want to move beyond the horrors of insurgency to build back better, be more resilient and create a future for our children.”
He thanked Buhari for the establishment of NEDC, the 50MW power project and the approval of N15 billion to return and repatriate displaced persons and refugees from Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
“There should be diligent adherence to the process of IDPs and refugees return by making sure that we deliver the best of support to the vulnerable population,” he said.
