By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has called on The United Nations (UN) to advocate for the recharging of Lake Chad Basin for human activities as there is much potentials in the region to bring back livelihood support of the residents.
Governor Zulum also appealed to the UN to support the resettled IDPs with livelihood support to enable them resume full human activities of farming, fishing and livestock activities.
He made the call on Tuesday, when the the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, paid a one day working visit to Maiduguri, the state capital.
Zulum further requested the UN Secretary General to come to the aid of the state government to address the daunting challenges of devastating destruction of public and private propriety especially schools, hospitals, offices, houses and farmlands where landmines are still found in some resettled area and access roads linking some of the communities.
He also requested the UN to assist and support the CJTF whose complimentary efforts is to provide security to the people in collaboration with the Nigerian security agencies.
The governor further urged th UN Secretary General to facilitate efforts and plans of the state government in the rebuilding process as part of the post insurgency transformation agenda.
While appreciating the support and assistance of the humanitarian organizations in the resettlement of the IDPs, Governor Zulum, however, said that there are IDPs in some designated camps outside the state and county that are being repatriated and are in need of humanitarian support.
UN pledges support to Borno, Nigeria to end Boko Haram conflict
On his part, The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said he has supported moves to expand facilities to reintegrate surrendering Islamist insurgents in northeastern Nigeria because it was a key step to achieving peace in Africa’s most populous nation.
He called for continued humanitarian support in Borno, but added that, ultimately, people in camps wanted to return to their homes “in safety and dignity.”
Guterres, who visited a camp housing some Boko Haram fighters, who surrendered and another housing internally displaced persons in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, later told a news conference that the integration programme would help achieve peace.
“Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum said at least 40,000 Boko Haram fighters and their families have turned themselves in to authorities since last year, as the group reels from the death of its leader early in 2021 and as rival ISWAP seeks to absorb them.
“The governor has told me that you need to create new facilities to be able to have effective reintegration of these ex-terrorists, ex-combatants, and I promised that we would be fully supportive of that project,” Guterres said.
He added that “The best thing we can do for peace is to reintegrate those who in the moment of despair became terrorists but now want to become citizens and to contribute to the well-being of their brothers and sisters.”
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