By Omeiza Ajayi – Abuja

The Federal Government has promised to continue to secure the lives and property of all Nigerians and to ensure the safe return of those who have been displaced from their communities through the activities of insurgents in the North-East.

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola gave the assurance Tuesday in Abuja when he received a delegation from the Lake Chad Basin Commission, led by its Executive Secretary and Head of Mission, Multinational Joint Task Force, Ambassador Mamman Nuhu.

According to him, “prior to the coming of the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration in 2015, the country was at a defining moment in her history, with acts of terrorism perpetrated by Boko Haram insurgents, which constituted an existential threat with the group occupying large swathes of territory in the North East region and was threatening to seize more areas to consolidate its dominance and project its evil ideology.

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“Besides, the economy was not only in a precarious state and soon regressed into recession, but also corruption was subverting our institutions, society, eroding public confidence in government business, thereby leaving the country in despair, bereft of self-confidence and in dire need of repositioning,” the Minister said.

Director Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Mohammed Manga in a statement said Aregbesola added that “the Buhari Administration promised to pursue progressive change on three fronts: viz, security, economy and the fight against corruption”.

He said, “with the strengthening of Nigeria’s international partnership, participation in the Multinational Joint Task Force, consolidation of its collaboration with the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit; initiating a major re-organisation of the Counter-Terrorism and Counter-insurgency operation by Operation Lafiya Dole; improved funding, procurement, operations, training, logistics, as well as improved welfare for the security agencies to round up security operations across the country, the spate of crimes and criminality, Boko Haram insurgency in the North East and other acts of kidnapping and armed banditry, will soon be a thing of the past”.

Aregbesola assured that the ministry will continue to collaborate with the Lake Chad Basin Commission to create awareness on the Regional Stabilization Strategy for the Stabilization, Recovery, and Resilience of the Boko Haram affected areas of the Lake Chad Basin Region. This he said would ensure improved economic development in the sub-region, historically characterised by environmental problems and worsened by repeated violence from terrorist groups.

Speaking earlier, Amb. Nuhu said the team was on a mission to create awareness among the people of the member countries of the Lake Chad Basin and also to generate support for the stabilisation strategy which is aimed at bringing relief to the people affected by the insurgency.

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He said the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is carrying out an information, awareness-raising and advocacy mission on the Regional Stabilization Strategy for recovery and resilience in the areas of the Lake Chad Basin affected by the Boko Haram crisis.

Nuhu who presented a document entitled, “Regional Stabilisation Strategy for Recovery and Resilience of the Areas of the Lake Chad Basin,” to the Minister, said that the AUC, LCBC, and partners, in 2017, decided to develop a framework for a stabilization strategy for the region with the aim of facilitating the transition from active military engagements to addressing the root causes of the crisis and stabilizing the area affected by Boko Haram.

Also in her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Barr. Georgina Ehuriah, said the Ministry and its Agencies will continue to ensure full implementation of the policies and programmes of the present Administration in line with its mandate, which is ensuring internal security and citizenship integrity.

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