Army to Support UNDP’s Rebuilding Programme in N/East

Army to Support UNDP’s Rebuilding Programme in N/East

As the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP-Nigeria) prepares to flag-off it various stabilization programme in the troubled North-Eastern region of the country, Lieutenant-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), has assured the international organization’s President Representative-Designate, Mr. Mohammed Yahaya, of Nigerian Army’s full support towards the successful implementation of all their laudable projects.

Lt. Gen. Buratai, informed the UNDP’s President Representative-Designate, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Army Headquarters that NA will provide maximum security to officials of UNDP and aid workers to be deployed across the North-East, for their humanitarian exercise.

“We want to assure you that the Army is ready, and will fully provide an enabling environment for your men to perform their jobs without apprehension of terrorists’ attacks. The NA is very proud of UNDP, and immensely appreciate their various intervention programmes in Nigeria. We urge other local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and international bodies to also embark on executing life-touching projects in the North-East. And they can be sure that NA will offer them her overwhelming support, collaboration and robust partnership,” he said.
The COAS, who congratulated Mr. Yahaya on his recent appointment as UNDP-Nigeria’s President Representative, also highlighted some enviable strides recorded by the organisation, especially in the area of peace building and conflict resolution to several war-plagued and conflict-ridden African nations.

“At the moment, the NA has inaugurated and launched several stabilization programmes and rebuilding projects in the North-East. In fact, most of these landmark projects have been implemented to remarkable extents,” he disclosed.

Speaking earlier, Mr. Mohammed, said the purpose of initiating and flagging-off their stabilization programme is to assist the Nigerian Government in addressing the excruciating plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and communities which have been ravaged by insurgency.

“The idea behind designing and implementing our stabilization programme is to also draw the attention of other key stakeholders to speedily help rehabilitate victims of insurgency. They should come in and help restore the IDPs’ once-upon-a-time means of livelihood. They should assist in empowering displaced persons. They should lend their financial supports towards rebuilding vital infrastructure in the North-East,” he stated.

While soliciting NA’s support, the UNDP’s envoy, emphasized that their stabilization programme is all about restoring the source of livelihood of the IDPs’ and other victims of extremism, rebuilding critical infrastructure, and reconstruction of wrecked communities, among others.

By PRNigeria