Military tasks presidential panel on enduring peace in North East

The Nigerian Army has charged members of the Presidential Committee on North-East Initiatives (PCNI) to boost the peace-building process by collaborating with other agencies to sustainably win the war against insurgency in the region.

The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen. Lucky Irabor, gave the charge yesterday, while addressing the Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume-led panel during a courtesy visit to the Maimalari Cantonment base of the task force in Maiduguri, Borno State.

His words: “Let me by way of reciprocal encouragement you have given me to urge the PCNI to implement the reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement programme put in place to ensure that the internally displaced persons (IDPs) return to their villages, if there is any value we have for them.”

Ndume, who represents Borno South in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, noted that out of the N1 billion allocated to the committee, only N600 million was released to procure food items to alleviate the condition of the IDPs who are victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in that region of the country.

He recalled that the committee was mandated to ensure quick return of the displaced to their liberated communities and complement efforts of the state government and donor agencies, humanitarian development partners and the Federal Government in endeavours geared at expediting their seamless resettlement.

Ndume went on: “This presidential committee donated 10,000 bags of rice, 7,000 bags of maize, 7,000 bags of millet, 5,000 bags of beans, 2,000 cartoons of noodles and 1,000 cans of palm and vegetable oil to the Borno State government for onward distribution to the IDPs in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA.”

He added that Yobe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Taraba and Gombe states got their share of the food items, consisting 6, 000 bags of rice, 6,000 bags of millet, 3,000 cartons of noodles and 500 cans of palm and vegetable oil among others.

The senator reiterated government’s committee to the resettlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction programme. He commended the state government and donor agencies as well as the international community for their support and assistance thus far.