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Tag: Sunday Ochoche

  • Herdsmen: FG begins construction of affected communities

    Governor Samuel Ortom on Tuesday, flagged off the reconstruction of some selected destroyed public infrastructure in some communities affected by the attacks by herdsmen in Benue State.

    The Governor called on the federal government to address head-on, the problem of insecurity that gave rise to the killings of people and destruction of public and private properties.

    Governor Ortom, who flagged-off the long-awaited work reconstruction work at the Comprehensive Health Centre, Gbajimiba, one of the 28 projects to be reconstructed in the state by the federal government in partnership with the Benue State government, called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to hurriedly stop the work of “operation whirl stroke” but rather, to empower the military more to eliminate the threat of attacks on the communities.

    He also adversed the federal government as a matter of urgency restore the needed peace and stability that would lead to the return of the internally displaced people to their homes. .

    Represented by his deputy, Engr. Benson Abounu, Governor Ortom expressed delight at the response by the Victims Support Fund (VSF) led by Gen. Yakubu Danjuma (rtd) to his request for help in reconstructing the damaged public and private infrastructures

    He demanded that the work, expected to be carried out in 21 communities, spread over Guma, Logo and Agatu local government areas in the first instance will reach other communities affected by the attacks.

    Read Also: Ortom restates call for Intelligence gathering

    While appreciating the VSF for the 5 Health Clinics to be built in the state, Governor Ortom appealed to them to also provide the required equipment to enable the State government take over their running.

    The Executive Director, VSF, Prof Sunday Ochoche disclosed that on the basis of the request for assistance by Governor Ortom, and an assessment visit to the state in March, the Committee approved the construction of 23 classroom blocks and 5 comprehensive medical centers in the 3 local government areas.

    He stated that the projects, which cost N700m are expected to be completed within 3 months and called on the local communities to see them as their own projects and give their support to the contractors to enable them execute the work within the time frame.

    Dr. Magdalene Dura, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Development Cooperation, SDGs and NEPAD, and Rev. Dr Phillip Tachin, Executive Secretary, Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in their separate goodwill messages, thanked the federal government for the intervention, but called for more to be done given the magnitude of the destruction caused in the state.

    The VSF team led by its vice chairman, Tijani Tumsah had earlier paid a courtesy visit on Governor Samuel Ortom before proceeding to Gbajimba.

  • Boko Haram: VSF launches peace building project for Borno, Yobe

    Boko Haram: VSF launches peace building project for Borno, Yobe

    As part of the healing process after the devastating effect of the Boko Haram crisis in the northeast region of Nigeria ( in this case Borno and Yobe ), the Victims Support Fund (VSF) has launched a peace building project  the will promote  peace, security and social cohesion through  inter/intra religious peace building  among communities ravaged by the crisis.

    The Executive Director of VSF, Prof. Sunday Ochoche who lunched the project both in Borno and Yobe called on the people to begin to learn how to forgive one another in order to regain peace within the region.

    According to Prof. Ochoche who while addressing stakeholders at the  Musa Usman Secretariat complex in Maiduguri  said;  “Today’s peace building project; was designed to enhance peace, reconciliation and social cohesion in the society, particularly the ones affected by the eight-year Boko Haram insurgency that claimed many lives and property in Borno state.

    “While the campaigns of traditional and religious leaders; also sought to streamline the full implementation of various humanitarian interventions for rapid resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons ( IDPs ) in affected communities in the war ravaged region of northeast.

    “This project was to reconcile and forgive among members of the communities that were seriously hurt, destroyed and traumatized during eight-year insurgency period”.

    He explained further that implementation of the project; has already began  in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno state, as a pilot peace building project, adding that, the  project will  be extended to insurgency affected states of Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi and Taraba.

    He disclosed that the  peace building process embarked upon by VSF  is a coordinated  strategy of  putting together the different interventions to fast track reconciliation, rehabilitation and cohesion among the various communities affected by insurgency.

    “We want people to return to their normal ways of living and smile again, live in confidence and sleep with their two eyes closed,” Prof Ochoche said.

    He mentioned some of the workable strategies to include  “pulling  and tapping  from available local and international resources in the state that could mitigate conflicts and promote  peace through; “Construction of networks of peace and conflict resolutions to achieve sustainable peace and development of communities affected by insurgency.”

    Prof. Ochoche noted that the project will facilitate and sustain a strong multi-levels forum for inter and intra religious and cultural dialogue and reconciliation, adding that, “this could enhance sustainable research and documentation on trends and dynamics of conflicts in the northeast”.

    At   Damaturu, Yobe State, Professor Sunday Ochoche again took his message of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace to the people of the state who gathered at the Cultural Centre in Damaturu in the view of spreading the message to the rural communities.

    He stressed that VSF will not relent in connecting the gaps that the insurgency has brough to the region through its comprehensive activities with the peace building project on the radar.

    He added that VSF  over the years has  rebuilt, reconstructed  and reconciled the affected persons in the north east and will not relent in restoring hope among the returning communities.

    “VSF has been actively involved in the peace building process in the north east over the years and we will continue to do that to achieve lasting peace.

    “We have been doing with economic, educational, health, and security components and everybody is doing his own to ensure that peace is been built in the returning communities because people have been divided around religious, political and other divides so this peace initiative will bring back the loss confidence in the minds of the people and that is actually what we are working on”, Prof. Ochoche said.

    Speaking on the level of the participation of stakeholders, Prof. Ochoche said, “so far has been excellent and assure that the objectives of the initiatives will be realized” as the stakeholders will work towards achieving the desired goals”.

    Both the representative of the Muslim community, Ustaz Hudu Mohammed and that of the Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN ), Pastor Martin Ikem promised  to take the message to their followers on the need to forgive one another and  embrace peace at all times.

    The Nation recalled that VSF was established early 2014 by the Federal Government under its Presidential Initiative for the North-East (PINE) to assist and treat Boko Haram victims injured in the eight year insurgency.

    Since inception, it assisted six hospitals in the northeast and other parts of the country with funds to treat victims of terror attacks.

    In Borno State for instance, VSF has provided education support to 80,000 primary schools pupils displaced by Boko Haram insurgency and rebuild destroyed schools, health centres and public structures at in Bama and Dikwa as well as supported farmers in dry season farming in Borno and Yobe State.

  • Victims support fund realises N54bn to support victims of Boko Haram insurgency

    The Executive Director, Victims Support Fund (VSF), Dr Sunday Ochoche, said that N54 billion was pledged at the fund raising organised to support victims of Boko Haram insurgency in the country.

    Ochoche disclosed this at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum on Sunday in Abuja.

    According to him, less than N30 billion of the amount has been redeemed since the commencement of operations by VSF.

    He said that a committee was inaugurated by the Federal Government to help in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of victims of insurgency.

    “As soon as the General Danjuma committee was inaugurated by the president, the first thing they did was to hold the fund raiser to generate fund; Yes the Federal Government made a pledge and the Federal Government has redeemed 100 per cent of its pledge.

    “There was no fund from the international community, the rest of the funds have come from the private sector, from individuals and from the business sector.

    “The single largest individual contribution came from the chairman itself General Danjuma, who pledged $10 million and redeemed his $10 million immediately. Other Nigerians pledged, many have redeemed but many more also have not.

    “A total of N54 billion was pledged at the fund raiser, we have redeemed less than N30 billion’’.

    He said that many Nigerians are beginning to see the transparency at which VSF was going, adding that many are coming forward to make their little donation to the victims support fund.

    The executive director explained that with the enormity of the situation in the North-East, no single agency could significantly make a difference in the reconstruction, rehabilitation and rebuilding of the affected states.

    “You need to understand the enormity of the situation to appreciate whether any agency by itself can significantly make a difference to the situation.

    “It is in the appreciation of the enormity of the situation that the Federal Government recognises that even with its might as the Federal Government, by itself will not be able to do much.

    According to him, the Federal Government has to invite the private sector to also support its effort to support the victims of Boko Haram insurgency.

    He said that over two million people were believed to have been displaced as a result of the insurgency in the country.

    “We have been hearing numbers of deaths at about 20,000 but those are figures that have been paraded for over a year plus now; I want to believe that the actual figure of deaths will be well above that.

    “We have a situation where if you travel in the North–East, you travel from Maiduguri to Bama, from Konduga all the way to Bama not a single hut is standing.

    “If you are travelling a little bit further from the northern axis to Dikwa and Gamboru Ngala all the way from Mafa to Dikwa to Gamboru Ngala nothing is standing.

    “If you go further north the Abadan and other areas have remain occupied until recently by Boko Haram.

    “If you go to Yobe and you go to Gujba Local Government the whole of Buniyadi nothing was standing, you go to  Gulani much of Bara nothing was standing’’.

    He said that similar issue of destruction applied to some Local Governments in Adamawa state as a result of the activities of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Ochoche said that VSF was set up to evaluate the need assessment of a deficient locality such as the case of people affected by the insurgency and thus act on their plight.

    “We have identified and defined our area of need and area of comparative advantage.

    “By our need assessment, we realised there are significant gaps; we are not directly involved into humanitarian intervention, we do not provide food,’’ he said.

  • Insurgency: VSF to assist 12,000 pupils, 31 schools in Adamawa

    The Victims Support Fund (VSF) says it will assist 12,000 pupils and 31 schools under its education empowerment programme  in three local government areas affected by insurgency in Adamawa.

    The Executive Director of the fund, Prof. Sunday Ochoche, made this known on Friday while flagging-off the second phase of distribution of school bags, learning and teaching materials to pupils and officials of affected schools in Garkida town of Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa.

    Ochoche said that the three local government areas selected for the second phase comprised Gombi, Maiha and Michika, adding that under the first phase undertaken last year, 7000 pupils benefitted from 13 schools in Hong, Mubi North and Mubi South Local Government Areas of the state.

    “It is so exciting to us from VSF to be back in Adamawa in continuation of what we are mandated to do by the President.

    “We are here in continuation of the implementation of our education empowerment programme.

    “VSF from inception has focus much on human dimension on recovery from the insurgency; we want to encourage every child and teacher back to school, and to help change the situation of the narrative that gave birth to Boko Haram in the first place.

    “And we are convinced that there is no way we can change the narrative without addressing the issue of education and things that will enhance education,” Ochoche said.

    He reiterated the commitment of the fund to work with Adamawa Government in reducing to the barest minimum the number of children out of school.

    The Director Programme of the fund, Prof. Nana Tanko, who lauded stakeholders working with the fund in the implementation of the programme, tasked parents and school authorities to ensure maximum utilisation of the learning and teaching materials provided.

    Tanko cautioned against misuse such as selling the materials, and urged the public to monitor and seize any of the items found being sold in the market or anywhere.

    “If you see any of these support materials on sale, please seize it,” Tanko advised.

    Gov. Muhammadu Bindow, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs Kaletapwa Farauta, lauded the various interventions by VSF and assured it of his administration’s maximum support.

    Bindow said that the state had also declared a state of emergency in the education sector and was following that up with series of actions.

    “We are following up our declaration of state of emergency in education sector with a lot of activities and we are mindful of what we are doing to ensure that our children of school age are not left roaming the streets. We are most grateful for your support,” he said.

    The District Head of Garkida, Malam Saidu Tarfa, expressed gratitude to the fund and other government and non-governmental organisations for their support to the community and others affected by the insurgency.

    Tarfa assured the fund of sustained support and cooperation of the community in its effort to boost education and rehabilitate the area.

    Highlight of the occasion was distribution of school bags, sandals, text and exercise books, among other materials, to pupils of Garkida “C” Primary School.