Olalekan Adetayo
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said the current challenge facing his administration was how to reintegrate over two million Internally Displaced Persons who are victims of Boko Haram insurgents.
He said since life had started returning to normal where the IDPs were displaced, it was important for his administration to re-unite them with their families.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke at the opening of the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Nairobi, Kenya.
Buhari was quoted as promising that the Federal Government would ensure full rehabilitation of the displaced persons.
He also promised to find lasting solutions to combat threats of terrorism in the country.
He acknowledged Japan’s assistance through the United Nations Children’s Fund and other development partners for their support towards the rehabilitation of the victims of Boko Haram and improving the lives of IDPs in the country.
Describing the problems as his administration’s primary responsibility, he promised to tackle them headlong and proffer lasting solutions.
Buhari also told the summit attended by Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, 35 African leaders and chief executives of at least 80 major companies from Japan, that international cooperation with Nigeria was central in the decimation of Boko Haram terror group.
He said, “I took over the mantle of leadership in Nigeria when the North-Eastern part of the country was being ravaged by Boko Haram.
“However, soon after assumption of office, our administration with the support of our immediate neighbours — Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin — and international partners including Japan, faced the challenge frontally. `
“As I speak, the terror group has been decimated and life is beginning to return to normal in the affected region.
“The challenge we currently face, which is also being addressed, is that of the IDPs, which number over two million to get them re-integrated with their families and their original homes.”
On global health issues, which is a major focal point of the summit, Buhari thanked the Japanese government for its contribution of $800m to the fight against malaria, tuberculosis among others.
The contribution is part of the $1.3bn made available to the Nigerian Health Sector by the Global Fund.
– PUNCH
