Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has again called on the International community to increase its contribution towards the rebuilding of the North East region of Nigeria.
Dogara made the call on Saturday at Bajabure Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp Adamawa State in continuation of his tour of IDP camps across the country, according to a statement issued in Yola by his spokesman, Mr. Turaki Hassan.
The Speaker, who donated relief materials to the four IDP camps in Adamawa state, reiterated his call to the international community to help in rebuilding the region that has been ravaged by almost seven years of violence and destruction by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Dogara condoled with the people affected by the insurgency and assured them that the current government would not rest until they return home. He also commended the Nigerian security forces for decimating Boko Haram terrorists and recovering territories and communities which were previously under their control. He urged them to push on until all terrorists are routed and displaced persons return to their communities.
The Speaker maintained that although the region is in dire need of development, peace must first be restored in order to provide the atmosphere for construction to commence. While assuring that as the voices of the people at the national level, the House would continue to draw the attention of the global community to their plight, the Speaker also disclosed that he would soon visit IDP camps in Maiduguri.
"Our decision was that we visit IDPs that are outside the theatre of conflict first and we have visited camps that are outside the North East. This is the first time we are visiting an IDP camp within the North East and hopefully, soon, we will cap this exercise with a visit to IDPs in Maiduguri and close the formal outreach; the rest, we will do in an informal way."
“We recognise the efforts of the military and we thank them for the sacrifice and reclaiming the seven local governments that were captured by Boko Haram. The reason we are here is not just to bring you these relief materials; as a responsible government, we know that the security of lives and properties is our primary purpose and so your security is of more importance than the things we are presenting," the Speaker said.
"Even if we were to keep you here and feed you with the best of food, you will never be satisfied until you return home. That is our priority and we will do everything legally and politically possible to ensure that you get back to your homes very soon."
"As your representatives, we will ensure that we tell your story to the world and we promise – as your voice in the national stage – to tell the world about you. In this era of dwindling resources, it will be difficult for the government to rebuild the region alone. We need the support of the international community. We who wear the shoes know where it pinches most and we are in a better position to tell these stories."
Speaking earlier, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Commission (NEMA), Sani Sidi, disclosed that the camp has 2,903 people, out of whom 1, 338 are children below the age of 13 years, 179 are lactating mothers, with 54 pregnant women and 51 unaccompanied children.
Receiving the relief materials on behalf of the IDPS, the chairman of the camp, Malam Madu Gana Goni, commended the Speaker for his gesture towards them. He said that as the Speaker rightfully noted, they were eager to return home.
