President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, October 26, inaugurated the Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative (PCNI), at the Presidential Villa.
Head of the committee is General T.Y. Danjuma (Rtd).
The Committee will be the apex coordinating body for all interventions in the North East region including those by the public, private, national and international development partners.
Mr. President’s full speech reads:
Today marks an important milestone in our desire and determination to
restore normalcy and stability to the North Eastern part of our
country.
The devastation to human lives and livelihoods by the insurgency in
the North East is severe, with more than an estimated 20,000 persons
killed, an estimated 2.4 million persons displaced and billions of
naira worth of personal and public assets destroyed.
Many humanitarian intervention efforts, national and international,
have worked over time to assist in coping with the task of bringing
succour to the IDPs in and outside the region, with most of these
efforts aimed at providing short-term emergency assistance and relief
to the victims of the violence and displacement. However, there
remains a need for better coordination of these efforts particularly
the humanitarian resettlement and reconstruction of the region.
Fortunately, the worst of the insurgency is behind us. This we owe
principally to the valiant efforts of our military whose gallant
efforts have significantly degraded the insurgency. With these
successes, many displaced persons are willing and ready to return home
to pick up their lives and move forward.
However and sadly so, many have nothing to return to. They have lost
everything to the insurgency. In addition, social and public services
are also absent due to the massive destruction of public and private
infrastructure. Government is committed to providing effective
coordination and guidance towards addressing the humanitarian crisis,
the resettlement and reconstruction of the North East region.
To this end, I have established the Presidential committee on the
North East Initiative (PCNI), under the Chairmanship of General T.Y.
Danjuma (Rtd), GCON, a man of proven integrity, outstanding patriotism
and dedication.
He will lead this Committee comprising members who have been carefully chosen from a wide spectrum of stakeholders. The Committee will be the apex coordinating body for all interventions in the region
including those by the public, private, national and international
development partners. The Committee is domiciled in the Presidency
and is charged with responsibility for developing the strategy and
implementation framework for rebuilding the North East region.
The PCNI would not exist in perpetuity or isolation. Rather, it will
exist for a period of 3 years, where after it is envisaged that a
long-term regional development framework or entity may be established.
Meanwhile, PCNI will be funded through Federal, State and Local
Government appropriation, as well as funds from the private sector and
international development partners.
Finally, while having great trust and confidence in the team of
General TY Danjuma, I urge them to approach their task with
dedication, commitment, accountability and transparency. The
Committee should take a quick look at the conditions of the IDPs and
take urgent remedial measures to alleviate these conditions. I also
call on all stakeholders to give the PCNI their maximum support to
enable it to deliver on its mandate.
It is now my pleasure to formally inaugurate the Presidential
Committee on the North East Initiative.
Thank you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
