The Federal Government has concluded a comprehensive plan for the reconstruction of the insurgency ravaged North East geo-political zone.
The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on North East, Prof Soji Adelaja made this disclosure at a consultative meeting with the ministers of power in Abuja.
The committee chairman, in a presentation, unveiled series of coordinated sustainable intervention projects and policies designed to reconstruct the region in close collaboration with state governments in the zone as well as federal ministries with relevant projects capable of healing the wounds of the war.
Adelaja specifically listed what he called emergency assistance stabilization projects covering education, health, infrastructure, agriculture among others.
The committee, he said, had concluded studies of post conflict societies, where reconstruction has been successfully done.
The chairman further noted that the committee was identifying safe communities to launch the reconstruction, adding that the concept include identification of agriculture and transformation ready communities in view of the ongoing security challenges.
The Minister of State for Power, Hon Mohammed Wakil, lamented the devastation inflicted on the region by the insurgents, but commended President Goodluck Jonathan for launching several initiatives to rebuild the zone.
According to Wakil, the President had introduced four initiatives to rehabilitate North-East, namely the setting up of two separate presidential committees, the full funding of emergency agency and the provision of sufficient supply to the displaced from the national grain reserve.
‘’Mr. President has put the reconstruction and rehabilitation structures in place. I urge this presidential committee to act quickly and urgently by going to the field. Our people want to see you in action. They are in dire need of help. It is time for action’’, the Minister of State charged the committee.
In his reaction, the Minister of Power, Prof Nebo said the account of the Minister of State about the insurgents confirmed the widely held belief that the insurgency was not about religion but about hatred of Nigeria and humanity.
‘’Boko Haram members are haters of our dear country. It has nothing to do with religion. We in the Ministry of Power commended Mr. President for his intervention and we pledged the support of our ministry in the area of quick-win projects to facilitate the reconstruction efforts.
‘’We will identify relevant projects and key into this presidential initiatives. We have big projects in the North East. Mr. President just approved the Mambilla hydro dam which will employ thousands of young people from the North East and boost economic life of the people’’, the minister said.
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