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Tag: United Nations (UN)

  • U.S. threatens action against S. Sudan if it does not end violence

    U.S. threatens action against S. Sudan if it does not end violence

    The U.S. threatened to take further action against the South Sudan government if it does not end violence and allow United Nation ( UN ) peacekeepers to do their job.

    A month after U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley visited South Sudan and met with President Salva Kiir in the capital Juba, she told the Security Council: “Words are no longer sufficient.”

    “The U.S. is prepared to pursue additional measures against the government – or any party, for that matter – if they do not act to end the violence and ease the suffering in South Sudan,” said Haley, who was the most senior member of President Donald Trump’s administration to visit South Sudan.

    The Trump administration imposed sanctions in September on two senior South Sudanese officials and the former army chief for their role in the civil war and attacks against civilians.

    However, any U.S. push for the UN Security Council to take further action against South Sudan is likely to be resisted by veto power Russia.

    The council sanctioned several senior South Sudanese officials on both sides of the conflict in 2015, but a U.S. bid to impose an arms embargo in December 2016 failed.

    “It is counterproductive to impose targeted sanctions, counterproductive to impose an arms embargo, such measures will not help to break this deadlock and will only further exacerbate the crisis,” Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Petr Iliichev.

    South Sudan spiraled into civil war in late 2013, two years after gaining independence from Sudan, and a third of the 12 million population has fled their homes.

    The conflict was sparked by a feud between Kiir, a Dinka, and his former deputy Riek Machar, a Nuer, who is being held in South Africa.

    A fragile peace deal in South Sudan broke down last year and East African bloc IGAD has been trying to revive it.

    “We view as unjust the ongoing attempts to place all blame for the persistent unabated violence on Juba alone, it has done its role, now the opposition must reciprocate,” Iliichev said.

    UN sanctions monitors reported earlier this month that inspite of the catastrophic conditions across South Sudan, armed forces, groups and militias, particularly those affiliated with Kiir and Vice President Taban Gai, continued to “actively impede both humanitarian and peacekeeping operations.”

    Reuters/NAN

  • Give women greater role in industry to cut poverty by 2030 – UN

    Give women greater role in industry to cut poverty by 2030 – UN

    UN says Women need to be given a greater role in industries in poorer nations to meet the global goal of cutting poverty by 2030.

    The head of the UN Industrial Development Organisation ( UNIDO ), Li Yong said empowering women will be a priority in his second four-year stint as director general of the agency which oversees about 860 projects to boost economic growth and tackle poverty.

    Data shows about half of the world’s women are in the labour force compared with about 75 per cent of men, hold less senior roles and earn on average 60 to 75 per cent of what men make.

    But studies repeatedly show that more women working accelerates economic growth, while women also invest more of their income into families to educate children and end poverty.

    “We need to look at how our projects help women’s empowerment and job creation,” Li, formerly of China’s Ministry of Finance, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview at UNIDO’s 17th General Conference in Vienna.

    “Lots of projects like agro-industry are related to women’s empowerment … and one part of our evaluation is to look at women’s empowerment, at training, at jobs, all those things that are very concrete measures.”

    Li was widely praised in his first term in office for re-establishing UNIDO as a key development organisation in the UN system with a mission to promote industry as a driver to create jobs, boost prosperity, and reduce poverty.

    Some countries had questioned the purpose and effectiveness of UNIDO, one of 15 specialised UN agencies, and some nations withdrew funding in the past decade including Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada and France.

    Representatives of UNIDO’s 168 member states, however, said Li had changed the focus to support developing countries and find ways to build sustainable, environmentally friendly businesses using fewer resources, less energy and generating less waste.

    He had also encouraged public and private, local and international partnerships such as setting up agro-industrial parks and introducing clean tanning technology to India’s leather industry.

    One of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, an agenda to be reached by 2030, acknowledges industrialization as a key driver of sustained economic sustainability and prosperity.

    Li said UNIDO’s core mission had never been more relevant.

    He said poverty, employment and hunger remain major challenges, exacerbated by climate change, resource depletion, environmental degradation and the potential impact of new technology which will cut jobs, with women to be worst hit.

    He said Africa remained a priority, but climate change meant thinking differently about manufacturing, particularly in low-lying small island nations with limited resources.

    Li said such nations import expensive crude oil to generate power.

    “I said to them ‘Open your eyes. Expand your vision.

    “If they could use renewable power, like solar or maybe tidal … they can manage their fishing industry, or tourism, and expand job creation,” Li said.

    He said the Pacific island nations of Kiribati and the Marshall Islands had joined UNIDO in the past two years and others were keen to follow suit.

    “Our work is very relevant to their economic development,” he said.

    Reuters/NAN

  • Let’s stop violence against women today

    Let’s stop violence against women today

    The world we live in is satiated with various malevolent practices; one of which is violence.

    Violence against women is regarded a hard crime propelled by bias.

    According to Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of United Nations ( UN ) in 2006, “violence against women and girls is a problem of pandemic proportions.”

    At least one out of every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in their lifetime with the abuser usually someone known to her.

    Women all over the world are victims of various kinds of violent treatment from the society, especially men.

    Categories of violence against women include rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, female infanticide (which involves the deliberate killing of female newborns), Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)- Female circumcision.

    Other forms include marriage by abduction, honour killing, sexual slavery forced prostitution and women trafficking.

    Sexual harassment is the cohesion of a sexual nature.

    It involves unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favours, verbal or physical harassment.

    Though there are laws against sexual harassment, but these laws do not forbid offhand comments or simple teasing.

    The International day for the elimination of violence against women was designated by UN on 17th December 1999,

    in honour of the Mirabal sisters.

    The Mirabal sisters – Patria Mercedes Mirabal Reyes,

    María Argentina Minerva Mirabal Reyes and Antonia Maria Teresa Mirabal Reyes were from the Republic of Dominican.

    They stood to oppose the dictatorship of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo (the Dominican dictator at that time).

    They were involved in secretive activities against his regime.

    All three of them were assassinated on their way home by Trujillo’s henchmen on November 25, 1960.

    Their demise became symbols of popular and feminist resistance.

    So in 1999, United Nations General Assembly chose November 25 to be the International day for the elimination of violence against women, with Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka as the Executive Director of UN women.

    This day is celebrated annually worldwide.

    This movement started with the aim of raising awareness that women all over the globe are subject to all forms of violent practices; this is a pointer to the fact that the scale and true nature of the issue is often hidden.

    Some people believe that women should not do some kind of jobs because they are women (gender inequality). In fact, some totally go against women having a say in their homes or choosing who they want to spend the rest of their lives with (forced marriage).

    Others see them as punching bags that are readily available for them to vent their anger (domestic violence).

    This is why we should all arise to fight against this menace that it eating deep into our societies.

    Cases of domestic violence, rape and the likes should have weighty penalties which would serve as a lesson to others.

    It starts with you, whoever you are, wherever you may be, support the elimination of violence against our mothers, our sisters, our daughters and friends and the world be a better place to live in.

    Orange your world!

  • UNFPA urges FG to fight high fertility, maternal mortality

    UNFPA urges FG to fight high fertility, maternal mortality

    The United Nations Population Fund ( UNFPA ) on Monday advised Nigeria to fight high fertility, maternal mortality rate and migration problem to end poverty and boost prosperity in the country.

    The UNFPA Country Representative, Ms Diene Keita, gave the advice at the 5th Annual Population Lecture Series (APLS) with the theme: “Achieving Demographic Dividend: Strategic Tool for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Development’’ in Abuja.

    Represented by Mr Osaretin Adonri, the Assistant Country Representative of UNFPA in Nigeria, Keita said that if Nigeria wants to tackle poverty, enhance prosperity and promote sustainable growth as envisaged in Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, it was of prime necessity to address diverse population issues.

    She said that problems including high fertility, high maternal mortality rate, migration and the special issue of youth development must be addressed.

    “The theme of this year’s lecture is in line with the African Union Road Map on harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investment in Youth and the country’s road map on harnessing Demographic Dividend through Investment in Youth launched in July, 2017.

    “It is relevant to the Nigeria Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (2017-2020), which in recognition of the risk factor of the high population growth rate in Nigeria prescribed the integration of population dynamics in development programmes.

    “With a large population of young people accounting for 31.7% of the population, the country should urgently generate a large number of productive jobs for the growing working-age population.

    “Also there is the need to adopt a strong social welfare system for the aged which will in the near future contribute substantially to the dependent population.

    “The country must implement appropriate policies on small families, and capital inflow to grow the manufacturing bases and consumer markets, especially to support investment and employment growth in order to take advantage of its demographic situations for sustainable development,” she said.

    However, the UN official lauded the federal government through the National Population Commission and other partners for their hard work, consistency and collaboration in ensuring the success of this year’s lecture.

    She appealed to policy makers and programme managers to make the best use of knowledge about population issues at the APLS and similar opportunities for development planning; ensuring that policies and programmes were guided by data on population issues.

    In her remarks, the Executive Director of Advocacy Nigeria, Hajiya Saudatu Sani, said that the time of planning on the management of Nigerian population was over and it was now time for implementation.

    Sani also urged government to invest in the youth, women and girl child education to achieving demographic dividend.

    The gender advocate advised the government to adopt the model used in China where there was huge investment on the youth for sustainable development.

    “Nigeria must do that now, the time of planning is over, it is time to implement and government must do that now to fight poverty,” she said.

    NAN

  • 11m doctors, nurses, teachers needed to save Africa from ‘disaster’ – UN

    11m doctors, nurses, teachers needed to save Africa from ‘disaster’ – UN

    Africa needs 11 million more doctors, nurses and teachers by 2030 to prevent a “social and economic disaster” that could propel millions to migrate, the UN said on Thursday.

    It said the 11 million were needed to help the continent cope with a booming population, with the number of children set to increase by 170 million to 750 million in the next 13 years.

    “We are at the most critical juncture for Africa’s children,” Leila Pakkala of the UNICEF said in a statement.

    “Get it right, and we could … lift hundreds of millions out of extreme poverty, and contribute to enhanced prosperity, stability, and peace,” said Pakkala, who heads UNICEF operations in eastern and southern Africa.

    The UN’s children agency attributed the boom in births to high fertility rates, a rising number of women of reproductive age and lower child mortality.

    UNICEF said by the end of the century, one in two children worldwide will live in Africa.

    If they reach working age both schooled and healthy, they could spur economic growth – but for that to happen, Pakkala said investment in education and health were badly needed.

    UNICEF added that more schools must be built.

    The UN agency said that teachers, doctors, midwives and health workers must be trained and encouraged to stay in their community rather than move to cities or abroad.

    More than one in five Africans aged six to 11 are not in school.

    Girls, in particular, are more likely never to see a classroom, waylayed by child marriage and teenage pregnancy.

    Six in ten Africans lack access to basic sanitation and on average there are only 1.7 medical professionals per 1,000 inhabitants, well below the minimum international standard of 4.45 set by the WHO.

    To bridge the gap, 5.6 million health workers and 5.8 million teachers have to be trained by 2030.

    If it fails to invest in its future, Africa risks a “demographic disaster, characterised by unemployment and instability,” UNICEF said.

    It painted a picture where a lack of jobs, rapid urbanization and climate change could force millions to flee the continent seeking a better life overseas.

    Robert Yates, a health expert at the British think tank Chatham House, said 11 million teachers and medics was a challenging goal but not unfeasible, as shown by the rapid development of some Asian countries, such as Thailand and China.

    The UN agency added that this required a strong political will to boost public spending on health and education – rare in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Nigeria, which currently accounts for 20 percent of all Africa’s births, for example spends only 0.9 per cent of its GDP on public health, one of the lowest rates in the world.

    Exceptions in recent decades included South Africa, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

    NAN

  • Africa’s rapid urbanisation can drive industrialisation – UN

    Africa’s rapid urbanisation can drive industrialisation – UN

    A UN report on Thursday made concrete recommendations on how the right African policy framework could harness the continent’s rapid urban transition to drive industrial development.

    ‘The 2017 Economic Report on Africa’ was launched by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa in Kigali.

    Ms Giovanie Biha, the Deputy Executive Secretary, at the launch said: “African urbanisation has not been driven by improving agricultural productivity or increased industrial output, as has been the case elsewhere.

    “On the contrary, it has been dominated by the expansion of the informal sector – often services.

    “To foster enhanced growth and poverty eradication, African countries should put in place industrial policies that will generate the skilled jobs and productivity gains needed for the structural transformation of their economies.”

    She pointed out that by 2035, half of the continent’s population would be urban, compared to just one third in 1990.

    “Industrialisation and Urbanisation for Africa’s Transformation also provides an opportunity to discuss the challenges of industrialisation and structural transformation on the continent and for Eastern Africa, in particular,” she said.

    In most of the 14 countries covered by the Sub-Regional Office, the share of the manufacturing sector has been stagnant or declining over the past 10 years while the services sector has expanded rapidly.

    In spite of a weak structural transformation process, the long-term growth outlook remains promising in Eastern Africa, the report said.

    According to the ECA report, the gross domestic product ( GDP ) growth rate in 2017 is estimated to remain at the 2016 level of 5.6 per cent – down from the exceptional performance of the past five years.

    Ethiopia’s average annual growth rate is 9.5 per cent and Rwanda’s 7.2 per cent between 2012 and 2016, remaining well above the African continent average of 3.1 per cent in 2017.

    Andrew Mold, Acting Director of the ECA sub-regional office, highlighted some growth catalysts, such as massive investments in infrastructure or service sectors.

    According to him, increased investments have started to stretch budgets and weaken structural constraints, such as exchange rate volatility.

    NAN

  • A nugget as we commemorate the world students day

    A nugget as we commemorate the world students day

    There is a popular saying that “the moment you stop learning, you start dying”. Therefore, the subject of learning is a never-ending journey; one that is embarked on regardless of status, age or skin colour. Who is a student? By definition, a student is anyone who studies a particular academic subject or a student is one who is seriously devoted to some subject whether academically or not.

    From the writer’s point of view, a student is anyone with an open mind to acquire knowledge for things they do not know; especially of novel tasks and experiences.

    Taking a cursory look at the learning processes in our institutions of higher learning, we would readily recognise the banal and mechanical way of teaching and learning between lecturers and students. It is as if the students in the classroom are some robots that operate by “garbage-in, garbage-out”.

    Students are not machines that can be easily programmed and then expected to work accordingly. They’ve got flesh and blood; minds and hearts. Like Albert Einstein said, “if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will feel stupid for the rest of its life”. So, it is important that our curriculum and teaching methods be adapted to the students, and not just one-size-fits-all.

    According to A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM, “Every child is shaped by the mind of the teachers”. Therefore, teachers should learn to encourage, speak positivity to their students and make them realize nothing is impossible to assimilate.

    More also, the use of foul languages on students, give them reasons to think ill of themselves. You should understand that there are two (2) types of students seated in the class room.

    One of which are the fast learners; they are quick to learn, understand and even assimilate before the teacher hits the nail on the head. The other categories are the slow learners; they find it difficult to assimilate quickly like former. They need things to be broken down in smaller pieces before they can assimilate.

    Interaction and communication play a vital role in the teaching process; therefore, teachers should ensure that everyone is following and not face the “brilliant” ones in the class.

    An advice to parents and guardians, please avoid comparing the skills and abilities of your children; doing that makes them feel down casted and begin to doubt their abilities.

    How many times do you as a parent assist your child when he or she needs to do his or her assignment? How many even create time for their children to talk about issues bothering them? How many as much as notice or pay attention to the emotional needs of their children, especially when they get unnecessarily silent?

    Encouragement, love and care are the things that a child needs. Children need you around whenever and wherever the need arises; they want to turn around and see you behind them, giving them words and reasons to press forward. Let them know that with hard work, consistency and perseverance, success will definitely come.

    Students! You need to realize that nothing comes easy and that hard work pays! A.P.J. Abdul Kalam whose birthday, the United Nations declared as world students day says “man needs difficulties in life to enjoy the success”.

    Also, our very own Tai Solarin (of blessed memory) said, “may your road be rough”. Please don’t get it twisted, that was not a curse, but a silent reminder of the vicissitudes of life, and the ubiquitous benefits it has.

    Therefore, expect difficulties because after that comes success. Those “unpleasant words” we get from both our parents and teachers are for the betterment of our lives.

    Their intention is to push you to strive harder to become someone great in life. If you don’t seem to be getting the encouragement that you expect, don’t get discouraged…encourage yourself by doing those things that secures your future.

    You start by planning your future from now because excellence is a continuous process not an accident. Start now to create a better future for yourself and put on the “I can do it” attitude…truth be told – YES YOU CAN!

  • UN launches $9 million food security project

    UN launches $9 million food security project

    The United Nations ( UN ) on Tuesday launched a nine million-dollar food security project in Kaduna State to improve the livelihood of farmers in the state.

    Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, Mr Edward Kallon, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, said that the project known as “Food Africa’’ was to ensure improved nutrition and food sufficiency in the country.

    Kallon said the project was an innovative approach aimed at revamping the food sector to create new jobs for young people, increase farmers’ revenue, improve productivity, enhance nutrition and reduce food loss through the adoption of more sustainable production practices.

    He said that the project would be implemented in partnership with various UN agencies, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals Fund ( UN SDG-F ) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation ( FAO ).

    He said that the other facilitators of the project included the Sahara Group, the International Labour Organisation ( ILO ), the Roca Brothers and the Kaduna State government, among others.

    According to him, Nigeria is currently facing food insufficiency due to factors such as reliance on rain-fed agriculture, increase in food prices and climate change.

    Kallon said that the private sector was the engine room for actualising the SDGs, adding that collaborations between the government, private sector and UN agencies would facilitate efforts to achieve the targets of the project.

    “A growing population comes with a growing demand for food. To feed this expanded population nutritiously and sustainably, much more efforts and innovation are needed to make substantial improvements to the food system,’’ he said.

    Also speaking, Ms Paloma Duran, the Director of UN-SDGF, said that the project would target, train and involve no fewer than 4,000 farmers in Kaduna State.

    Duran noted that the project commenced with the training of 50 farmers, including young women and men in agriculture, using a train-the-trainer approach.

    “Some of the priorities of this project are food security and nutrition as well as inclusive economic growth; and it will last for three years,’’ she said.

    Mr Suffyan Koroma, the FAO Country Representative, said that the project would target food preservation techniques, especially in the tomato value chain.

    He said that the project would help to promote sustainability and replicable integrated solutions to agro-food value chain development, youth employment and poverty alleviation issues.

    Dr Abdukadir Kassim, the Permanent Secretary, Kaduna State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, commended the UN agencies for choosing the Kaduna as the pilot state for the project.

    He said that the training of the 50 farmers was apt, adding that the state government was interested in improving the livelihood of its citizens to ensure increased food production.

    He said that the state government’s agricultural schemes had impacted significantly on about 70 per cent of its farming population because of the fact that there was no better security than food security.

    Kassim said that the state government would support agencies and partners whose target was to promote the agricultural potential of the state.

    “The training of the farmers in Kaduna has confirmed the fact that the UN is supporting agricultural programmes in the country.

    “Any programme aimed at improving the livelihood of the people will be welcomed by the government,’’ he added.

    Mr Tonye Cole, the Executive Director of the Sahara Group, said that the project would be replicated in other states of the country and across Africa to achieve food security.

    Food Africa project focuses on identifying and testing a replicable model in Kaduna State, with a view to scaling up the programme in other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    NAN

  • United Nation International Day of Charity

    United Nation International Day of Charity

    By Moses Emorinken

    …what do you see?

    When you fix your gaze upon the indigents and less privileged, what do you see? Do you see a people requiring your pity or you see the fierce urgency for you to grow (financially, materially and otherwise) in order to be the change you want to see in the world?

    Prima facie, you might think all they require is your unrestrained show of sympathy and the giving of alms and hand-outs. Yes they do require these things and more, however, that is not all you can do. They do not perpetually require your pity or periodic pittance, but that you grow, evolve and manifest into the full stature of your potential and latent possibilities. By doing so, you will not only have and possess enough to make substantial contributions to assuage their plight but your story and presence will automatically give them the opportunity and permission to do the same.

    Also Read: UN seeks more investment in women, peace in Nigeria

    As we mark the United Nations’ ( UN ) International Day of Charity whose prime focus is to raise awareness and provide a common platform for charity related activities all over the world for individuals, charitable, philanthropic and volunteer organizations for their own purposes on the local, national, regional and international level, it is also imperative that we realise that charity is the rent we pay for our stay on this terraqueous globe we call earth. The moment we cease to pay our rent (charity), we lost our essence, our usefulness – our raison d’être; the landlord (God, Creator, Nature etc.) will kick us out with or without quit notice.

    Every year, charities all over the world help to save and improve people’s lives, fighting disease, protecting children, and giving hope to thousands of people. To honour the significant effort that a good number charities do, in 2012 the United Nations decided to designate the 5th of September, an annual International Day of Charity as an official day of recognition and celebration. The reason the date was chosen is because it is the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa. It memorializes the assiduous and untiring work that Mother Teresa did by devoting her entire life to charity.

    This is not the time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilising drug gradualism; this is the time for us to lift our people from the dark and desolate valleys of poverty to the sunlit path of material prosperity. It would be a fatal blunder for us as a people to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the extent to which our contributions to humanity can echo through time.

    Statistically, the percentage of those living below the poverty line in our dear country averages between (55% – 67%); this is a staggering number. For far too long, a significant portion of Nigerians live on the lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. These statistics gives credence to fact that individuals, private organisations, non-governmental organisations and the government needs to intensify effort and synergise to combat and defeat extreme poverty in the country.

    Contemplating how to begin your charity journey? You can start exactly where you are with what you have. As simple as ensuring that one or two pupils from indigent families get notebooks, pens and pencils will go a long way to alleviate their sundry worries even as schools resume.

    Also, reaching out to the Internally Displaced People (IDPs), destitute living under the bridges, to the children living in the slum, and those in the remand and orphanage homes etc., will also go a long way. Let us as much as we can reach out to them today regardless of how little we have – even our widow’s might would be appreciated.

    If you do your charity to get a social recognition or for political reasons, be rest assured that it would be tantamount to a show and a bauble; a theatrical calisthenics to which posterity will never be impressed by or with.

    Reach out and touch a life with all sincerity and altruistic intensions.

    Finally, remember that the choices and actions you take today will ripple through time, and has the ability to alter fates and destinies; so much literally rests in our hands.

    Contact Moses Emorinken

    Twitter: @memorinken

    Instagram: @memorinken

    Email: brandphase@yahoo.com

  • Shettima pleads with Borno people over vehicular restriction

    Shettima pleads with Borno people over vehicular restriction

    Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno on Friday apologised to residents in the state for the vehicular restriction on Eid day in Maiduguri metropolis.

    Shettima gave the apology in Maiduguri through a statement issued by Malam Isa Gusau, his Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy.

    The governor also called for renewed prayers to end insurgency, facilitate rebuilding and safe re-settlement of people displaced by Boko Haram insurgents.

    “I understand and share the pains of the restriction of vehicular movement on Borno citizens, particularly the elderly, children and women who have to trek to the Eid grounds from their distant homes.

    “Vehicular restriction is imposed as part of security measures to prevent any breach that could cause harm on the citizenry.”

    He said that festivities were meant for celebrations and was painful when State Security Council imposed ban which subjected citizens to some forms of difficulties.

    “Vehicular restrictions are normally imposed as last option after members of the State Security Council exhausted consideration of all other alternatives available to them,” Shettima explained.

    The governor, currently in Saudi Arabia for the 2017 Hajj, expressed deep concern over the troubles the elderly citizens, women and children encountered in trekking long distances to worship.

    Shettima said that he appreciated the efforts of the military, police, members of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), vigilance groups and hunters to put an end insurgency in the state.

    He said that the security operatives under President Muhammadu Buhari  had remained gallant and dedicated in their determination to improve on the security situation in the state.

    The governor expressed optimism that subsequent festivities would not require measures that would subject citizens to difficulties.

    He also commended the residents for their tolerance, understanding, courage and support to government’s efforts to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

    The governor called on the people to support government and security agencies in the counter-insurgency campaign to usher in a new era of enduring peace, social and economic prosperity.

    He urged the people to sustain their empathy and support to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    He advised them to remain steadfast in prayers for the success of the ongoing rehabilitation of communities and restoration of means of livelihood to communities ravaged by Boko Haram insurgents.

    Shettima also called on displaced persons to support and be hospitable to humanitarian workers providing services at IDPs camps and liberated communities.

    “Humanitarian workers are in Borno to help those in need of food, medical attention, shelter and livelihoods in order to share the responsibilities of the Federal and state governments in Nigeria.

    “The activities of the humanitarian aid workers are funded by donors who parted with scarce resources after concerted advocacies by humanitarian stakeholders including the United Nations (UN), Nigerian Government, foreign donor countries and the state government.

    “While recognising and understanding the trauma faced by displaced persons and challenges of meeting their basic needs, the recent misbehaviour towards humanitarian workers in one of the IDP camps in the state was uncalled for’’.

    The governor warned that such unruly behaviour would not be allowed to repeat itself, noting that interventions of government and humanitarian agencies should be regarded as deserved privileges which should be reciprocated with cooperation and mutual respect by displaced persons.

    Shettima reiterated his administration commitments to the reconstruction and rehabilitation programme to fast track safe re-settlement of displaced persons and provide means of livelihood to enable them to engage in productive activities.