Vice President Yemi Osinbajo Thursday in Borno assured returnees who fled the Boko Haram violence that the Presidential Committee on the Repatriation, Return and Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons in the North-east would take care of them and return them to their homes.
Osinbajo, who was hosted by the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, spoke when he visited the holding camp of thousands of returnees who had fled the state during the worst days of the insurgency, where he interacted with them and delivered the president’s message.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement he signed on Friday titled ‘Maiduguri comes alive as Osinbajo delivers president’s message of hope to returnees, leads repatriation efforts, headlines 30th edition of MSME clinics.’
According to him, the Presidential Committee “will take care of you and return you to your homes. We are going to do the best that we can so that you can continue with your life and do your work. By the grace of God, all will be well with you, God bless you.”
Earlier this month, the president had set up the Committee on the Repatriation, Return and Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons in the North-East of Nigeria, and tasked it with the responsibility of activating a permanent solution for effective and practicable restoration of the returnees.
The president had directed members of the committee to “dedicate more time to the conduct of field visits to regularly engage with state government, communities and key stakeholders.”
At the MSMEs Clinic, the vice president emphasised that in furtherance of its efforts towards providing infrastructure and improving the business environment, the Federal Government will continue to work with private sector partners to support the MSMEs sector.
He also commissioned several projects, including the Legacy Doctors’ Quarters and the Resilience Commercial Centre, a business hub facility.
Afterwards, he went to the Children Learning Centre, a school set up by the North-East Children’s Trust, a charity he had championed during his 60th birthday to support orphans who are victims of the insurgency in the North-East.
The vice president also visited the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Garbai, El-Kanemi of Borno, to pay courtesy call on the paramount ruler, where he spoke about his visit to the state, thanked the Shehu for his fatherly support and also commended the visionary leadership of Governor Zulum.
He said: “I am always excited to come to Borno State; this State has proved so many things; it has proved what Nigeria can be; how resilient we are; how courageous we are; how committed we are to the Nigerian project.
“From the days of former Governor, Kashim Shettima, now Senator, I have seen a steady hand of progress here in Borno State; a commitment to development, a commitment to growth. And then over to Gov. Zulum, who has proved that it is possible to do incredible things with very little.”
In his remarks, the Shehu of Borno praised the Buhari regime for the restoration of peace in the State and the North-East in general, noting that the entire people of Borno were appreciative of government’s efforts and Prof. Osinbajo’s dedication to the cause of peace in the region.
While commending the federal government for ensuring the restoration of peace in Borno, Zulum thanked the vice president for his personal commitment, stating that “we want to thank you for the enormous contributions that you have been making towards to the reinstatement of the displaced communities in Borno State.”
The vice president also stopped by the camp of surrendered insurgents and their families before departing the state on Thursday.
He was accompanied on the visit by some members of the National Assembly, including Abubakar Kyari; Muhktar Betara; Ministers of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mariam Katagum; Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri; and some heads of agencies, among others.
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