The Federal Government needs about N233 billion to reconstruct, rehabilitate and re-settle displaced Boko Haram victims in the three northeast states, the Presidential Initiative on North-east Interventions (PINE), said yesterday.
Its Chairman, Gen Theophilus Damjuma, said at a North-east Humanitarian Multi stakeholders Engagement in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, that the carnage in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe requires proper coordination, co-operation and communication to alleviate the sufferings of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the reconstruction of destroyed communities.
Danjuma said the Federal Government and other stakeholders were determined to manage the humanitarian crisis in the zone, assuring that reconstruction of communities would soon commence after which IDPs would return to their liberated communities.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo while declaring the forum open, said all the stakeholders were in Borno to show kindness to distressed Nigerians, urging participants to make meaningful contributions to address the humanitarian challenges in the northeast.
“We are in Maiduguri to show humanity and give milk of human kindness to our brothers and sisters whom for six years have been ravaged by Boko insurgency, by killing, maiming and abducting innocent people,” the VP said.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari asked him to come to Borno for the engagement and to also strengthen the capacity of civil organizations and to develop the capacity of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) as well as individuals, so as to put the post-insurgency construction on a sound footing.
Host Gov Kashim Shettima of Borno State said his government has already kick-started the reconstruction effort, but noted the collaboration of the Federal Government and other stakeholders would help in accelerating the resettlement of the IDPs. He said the state government has created a ministry of rehabilitation and reconstruction.
