Three govs beg World Bank to complete MCRP in North East

Governors Babagana Zulum, Ahmadu Fintiri and Mai Mala Buni of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states have begged the World Bank to speedily complete the Multi Sectorial Crises Recovery Projects (MCRP) in their states.

The projects, sited in the North East, are affected by Boko Haram activities, which have claimed over 40,000 lives and property worth about $10 billion in the BAY states.

According to the governors, the completion of the MCRP will support the affected state governments in rehabilitating and improving critical services to the people.

Fintiri was represented by his deputy, Seth Crowther, at the Abuja meeting with the World Bank.

Besides, Governor Zulum, at a meeting with the World Bank Country Director, Shubham Chaudri, in Abuja on Monday, said the completion of the projects, would restore infrastructure and means of livelihoods to strengthen social cohesion and resilience.

He noted that the governors appreciated the good works the World Bank in the MCRP during the post-insurgency period.

He explained that displaced persons have been relocated and resettled in their liberated communities in the three states.

According to him, there are more areas that require collective intervention to restore the hopes and livelihoods of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Zulum said the only way to do that was to speed up the MCRP implementation process.

He warned that delay in releasing funds for the projects would trigger inflation due to recent increase in the foreign exchange rates.

Responding, Chaudri assured the governors that the bank would overcome the ‘worries and concerns’ of the MCRP implementing states.

“We’ll ensure the speedy implementation of projects by overcoming the bureaucratic bottlenecks that hinder the completion and running of various projects in the region,” he said.