The Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, made the disclosure when he briefed State House Correspondents after he met with President Muhammadu Buahri, yesterday.
He said: “We are very active in support of the humanitarian effort of the Nigerian government and that is why we have called for an additional $351 million as part of the overall $1.1 billion for the humanitarian response plan for Nigeria.”
The UN scribe, who was on a working visit to Maiduguri, Borno State, the worst hit by the insurgency, said from what he saw, great hope lies ahead.
“Despite all that they have seen and endured, the people I saw remain hopeful and committed to returning to their communities and resuming their lives. To that ends, I welcome the establishment of the Presidential Committee on the Repatriation, Return and Resettlement of displaced persons in the North-East.”
On his meeting with President Buhari, Guterres said they discussed how to address the challenges confronting Nigeria and the smooth conduct of next year’s general elections.
He said: “The spirit of hope amidst hardship and solidarity in struggle was also in the centre of my discussions with the Nigerian president today. We discussed the importance of laying the ground work to ensure peaceful and democratic elections next year and the full participation of Nigerian women and young people in all areas.
“We also discussed the government’s measures to address security challenges across the country. I want to extend my deepest condolences to the victims of the appalling attacks in Plateau State two and half weeks ago. It is a tragic reminder of terrorism scourge across West Africa and the Sahel.”
Guterres emphasised the commitment of the UN to combat terrorism, violent extremism, organised crime, poverty, food insecurity.
He also commended Nigeria for her role in sustaining peace in Africa and beyond as well as playing the leading role in sustaining democracy on the African continent.
President Buhari has said Nigeria remains grateful to the UN and some world leaders for their steadfast partnership in fighting terrorism, saying the spotlight on Russia and Ukraine could easily distract from other pertinent global challenges.
According to a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari noted that the country and the African continent were already concerned that the attention on Russia and Ukraine would crowd out other issues, but the ongoing visit of the UN scribe clearly showed that “the world has not forgotten us.”
He said terrorism remains a threat to global peace, security and progress, with many already killed, while millions had been displaced by the insurgents over many years.
“When we assumed office, the North East was the major security problem we inherited in 2015, but we have been able to make people understand that you cannot kill people and shout ‘Allahu Akbar,’ (God is great!).
“It is either you don’t know what you are saying or you are simply stupid. God is a God of justice, so you cannot kill people and say God is great. Luckily, the people understood our message and it has made great impact,’’ he said.
The president informed the UN scribe that the government had started a gradual, but steady process of resettlement and reintegration where citizens get encouraged to return to their farms, businesses and other pursuits in life.
He thanked the secretary general for the maiden visit to Nigeria.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General, has been urged to act decisively to rescue Nigeria from sliding into war.
“Before war breaks out in Nigeria with the humanitarian crisis this portends for the entire West African subregion and even beyond, please act decisively. A stitch in time, as they say, saves nine,” Professor Banji Akintoye, emeritus professor of History and leader of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, said in a statement he personally signed, yesterday.
He said the UN boss cannot get the true picture of how close to the precipice Nigeria is unless he visits the theatres of the criminality of the government.
“Visit the Middle Belt, behold the atrocities of Fulanii herdsmen and marvel. Visit the South West; if you will not talk to anyone at all, talk to Olu Falae, a one-time secretary of the Federal Government, one-time minister of Finance and presidential candidate and listen to his harrowing multiple experiences in the hands of rampaging Fulani herdsmen.
“Speak with octogenarian Reuben Fasoranti, erstwhile leader of Afenifere, whose daughter was murdered in her prime by Fulani herdsmen.
“Visit Ifon, also in Ondo State, whose traditional ruler was murdered by Fulani herdsmen. Visit Southern Kaduna where ethnic cleansing is a daily activity of the murderous Fulani nihilists. Same thing is happening in Taraba, Plateau, Niger, Ogun and Oyo states where Fulani herdsmen maim, rape, kill farmers and destroy farmlands.
“Your Excellency, the list is endless. And the atrocities have not abated. The Buhari administration refuses to allow the victims arm and defend themselves whereas the murderers are allowed to roam about with AK-47 looting, raping, maiming, and killing.
“Your Excellency must speak with the right people who will paint the correct picture of our parlous situation: a parlous and debt-ridden economy; restive and restless youths; collapsed educational system, hyperinflation, runaway unemployment, insecurity, corruption never before witnessed in this country, and a country divided than even during its civil war period.”
Use your remaining time to save Nigeria, Afenifere tells Buhari
Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, charged President Buhari to use the remaining time of his administration to bring Nigeria out of the doldrums into which it has fallen.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere said information and assurance that emanated from President Buhari’s message to Nigerians to mark this year’s Eid-El-Fitri celebration “fly against the reality on ground.”
In his message released on Sunday, April 30, by the presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, to mark the end of Ramadan fast, President Buhari had disclosed that the end to terrorism acts was in sight and that Nigerians have reasons to mark the Ramadan festival with hope as the “battle waged against terrorists who falsely masquerade under the name of Islam is approaching its conclusion.”
But Ajayi stated that “rather than looking at the immediate future with hope, Nigerians are living and moving around in fear and despondence because of the insecurity they face at home, at work and even more so when travelling on highways. How then can one be hopeful in that kind of situation?”
While agreeing with the president that the fight against terrorists “has been long and hard,” Afenifere noted that government has not succeeded in convincing most Nigerians that the “final victory is within sight.”
Afenifere reminded President Buhari that the three major areas in which he raised the hopes of Nigerians when coming to power were security, fighting corruption and boosting the economy among others.
“Unfortunately, the change we have seen in any of these areas are in the reverse. In reverse in the sense that insecurity is now at an unprecedented level, corruption is an all-time high while the economy is now so down that hardly are majority of Nigerians able to eat twice in 24 hours.”
He challenged the president to immediately allow states to establish their own police forces, honour agreements his government has with various labour unions, drastically reduce the cost of governance and ensure the cost of social services and essential commodities like petrol and electricity come down considerably.
THE SUN
