Donors for North East yet to redeem N27 billion pledges, says Danjuma

Buhari inaugurates presidential committee on humanitarian crisis

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday inaugurated the Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative (PCNI) to address the humanitarian crises arising from Boko Haram insurgency.

The Chairman of PCNI, General Theophilus Danjuma (retd), in response to the President, however, disclosed that ‎only N23 billion has so far been redeemed from the over N50 billion pledges made.

PCNI is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the resettlement of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and rehabilitation of the region.Buhari, at the inauguration yesterday in Abuja said that the worst of the Boko Haram insurgency was over. He commended the military for its efforts in degrading the terrorists.

The president, who disclosed that funding for the operations would be drawn from the Federal, State and Local Government appropriations with support from international donors, further charged the committee to discharge its duties with dedication, transparency and accountability.

While calling on all stakeholders to support the committee to succeed in its mandate, the president also charged the members to approach the task ‎with commitment for the benefit of the people of the region.

Responding on behalf of the members, ‎Danjuma, who acknowledged the contributions from various sources particularly during the fund raising for the Victims Support Fund for the North East, disclosed that the committee had developed an implementation framework tagged ‘The Buhari Plan’ in line with the terms of reference of the PCNI.

Danjuma said the interventions contained in the Buhari Plan had been designed for targeted, integrated interventions by the federal and state governments, with support from international development partners, local charities, the Nigerian and international business communities, as well as other donors.

The over 20-member committee include federal lawmakers, secretary to the government of the federation, and other eminent Nigerians from the North East region of the country.