Boko Haram: Saraki Seeks Foreign Assistance to Rebuild North-East
Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday solicited the assistance of the International Community for the on-going efforts by the Federal Government to end the insurgency in the North-eastern part of the country and thereafter rebuild the area as well as rehabilitate the people.
He said that such support would also help bring succour to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the area.
Saraki made the call at separate sessions he had with the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Zenner and his Spanish counterpart, Alfonso Barnudvo Sdbastian De Erice who paid courtesy visits to him in Abuja.
He stated that the humanitarian situation and level of destruction in the area ravaged by the insurgents require urgent and wide support across the world.
He said it was clear to him having led a delegation of the Senate to visit the IDPs camps in Maiduguri on Monday for an on-the-spot assessment that the Federal Government alone cannot foot the bills for total rehabilitation of the people and rebuilding of infrastructure damaged as a result of the activities of the insurgents.
Saraki said: "As you talked about insecurity, particularly the insurgency in the North-East, it is a problem that we alone cannot tackle. A couple of days ago, some of us were there in the North-East, in Borno State, to see the effects on the entire community particularly the Internally Displaced Persons, I think that it is clear that a large part of the North-East need reconstruction and rehabilitation and I think this is an area where long term funding will play a role to help us in the infrastructure.
"Those places needed to be rebuilt. There are no schools. There are no roads. The houses have been destroyed and I think that the international community can assist us by providing funding that will allow us to begin the rehabilitation and reconstruction of these areas.
"I think this is an area I will like to you to focus on and look at the opportunities. Things like these have happened in other parts of the world where international communities have come together and provided a kind of long term funding that will be required for reconstruction.
"It is clear that from our budget alone, it is not possible for us to fund it and I think it is also not right as leaders to continue to subject Nigerians, both old, young men, mothers and their children who have been in camps for years to continue there and I think it is one area that we will like to have your support", he said.
The Senate President told his guests that apart from insecurity, the nation is looking up to developed economies like Germany and Spain in the other sectors such as Agriculture, Mining, Health and Industrialization in order to bring the dividends of democracy to the populace.
Saraki assured his visitors of the commitment of the 8th Senate to work closely with every stakeholders in diversifying the economy.
In their separate remarks, the German Ambassador, Mr. Zenner and his Spanish counterpart, De Erice, commended the Nigerian Senate for putting behind the earlier crisis that bedevilled its take off adding that they will not relent in working closely with 8th Senate and the President Muhammadu Buhari's administration in achieving social, political and economic stability.
Signed:
Media Office of the Senate President