FG, Global agencies complete assessment mission in North East

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by Mr Laoulu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the Vice President.

According to the statement, the team led by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Dr Mariam Masha, visited Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe, Bauchi, Borno and Yobe States,

It stated that the team conducted the mission as part of its on-going Recovery and Peace Building Assessment (RPBA) programme in the region ravaged by insurgency.

"The team actively engaged with state Governors, decision-makers as well as top government functionaries, Civil Society Organizations, private sector players and traditional rulers.

"The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Emergency Management, Humanitarian and Relief agencies and other active partners in the recovery efforts in the affected states were also engaged.

"In the course of the tour of the affected areas, the team of officials visited several camps and resettlement centres for the IDPs in the different states.

"It also visited the insurgency –ravaged public institutions such as hospitals, markets and military formations.

"The team also gained firsthand knowledge of human and physical conditions in the camps and resettlement centres.

"It afforded them the opportunity to empathise with the people and also reassured them of the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration toward addressing their challenges,’’ it stated

It stated that the visit focused on validating the processes through which data were to be collected and how to develop internationally acceptable mechanisms to maintain contact with focal points in all the states.

The statement recalled that the federal government had last month unveiled this assessment programme with high-level collaboration with the international organisations.

It stated that the programme was aimed at supporting government in its short, medium and long term efforts towards peace building and sustainable recovery in the North East region.

It also stated that the assessment would form the pivot for planning a broad-based public sector recovery programme for the region.