Osinbajo Commends Northeast Residents Over IDPs’ Welfare

VICE President Yemi Osinbajo has commended inhabitants of the troubled Northeast for their good neighborliness and for accommodating internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their homes and communities.

Making the commendation yesterday, while playing host to a high delegation from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in his office in Abuja, Osinbajo acknowledged that even though the insurgents still create a sense of fear, many Nigerians are aware and were doing their bit to accommodate the IDPs.
He said on its part the Federal Government is also committed to many of the initiatives put in place to address the situation of the Northeast region of the country.

Although there are economic challenges currently facing the country, Osinbajo said the Buhari’s administration is
determined to restore the infrastructure, farmlands and make the affected communities safe and habitable.

According to the Vice President, the Federal Government is deeply committed to the recovery and rehabilitation of the Northeastern region and will require the continued support of the United Nations in the effort.“We are looking forward to much more assistance from the UNHCR,” Osinbajo told the team led by Mr. Volker Turk, the Assistant High Commissioner, while also acknowledging that the agency has done a lot.

Observing that the situation especially with the IDPs in the Northeast has presented an enormous ongoing challenge, the VP said the UNHCR is “peculiarly equipped to deal with this kind of situation,” adding “we urge the UNHCR to work with us as closely as possible on the resettlement and rehabilitation of IDPs.”

In his remarks, Turk, while offering the government the continued collaboration of the UN agency, stated that it is the aim of the UNHCR to support and assist the Nigerian government to create the space for IDPs’ return to their communities.

Also, yesterday the Vice President received a delegation from the Nigerian Association of Nephrologists led by its President, Prof. B.L Salako. The association requested that the Federal Government should assist in the provision of drugs for victims of kidney disease and also work with the group to standardise dialysis treatment and kidney transplants in the country.