The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir David Lawan has revealed that the Federal government has commenced the reconstruction of schools and police stations destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.
Lawan made this known Sunday in Hong, Adamawa State during the graduation of 500 students trained by Buba Industrial Village.
The training was part of the Youth Empowerment Programme introduced by Yusuf Buba, the lawmaker representing Gombi/Hong Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
He said that the reconstruction of the region was part of the election campaign promises of President Muhammadu Buhari, and stressed that the aim was to bring lasting solution to insurgency and rebuild destroyed infrastructure in the area.
“Federal government has begun reconstruction of schools, police stations among others destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in the North East region.
“The present APC-led government is determined to guarantee peaceful co-existence among Nigerians and ensure that Nigerians irrespective of their locality or belief benefit from the dividend of democracy,” Lawan said.
He berated opposition parties for what he called campaign of calumny during the last general election, which linked the All Progressives Congress (APC) with a particular religion and Boko Haram insurgency.
Lawan said President Buhari and APC-led government would never discriminate against any Nigerian on the basis of religion and any other affiliation.
“President Buhari believes in honesty and integrity and, before him, all Nigerians are equal,” he said.
On youth empowerment, Lawan said that Federal government had excellent programmes for the employment of youths.
He commended the lawmaker for initiating skills acquisition programmes for the youth, describing the gesture as a landmark achievement worthy of emulation.
According to him, the programme is the first of its kind in the area since the inception of democracy in 1999.
In his address, Buba said that the gesture was part of the promises made during election campaign.
“During my election campaign, I promised my constituents that if elected, I will bring change through youth empowerment programmes. And today, this is the second graduation where over 500 youths were trained in various skills and assisted with free equipment to start their businesses,” Buba said.
-NAN
…Resettle 2.6m IDPs to liberated towns, villages – Shehu of Borno
The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Garbai El-Kanemi on Sunday urged the Federal Government to return Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camps to military-liberated communities in the state.
Making the call when the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Baba Abubakar, paid a courtesy visit to his palace in Maiduguri, he said peace has returned to 22 insurgency affected local government areas in the state.
Garbai El-Kanemi also said as peace has returned to the insurgency affected council areas of Borno State, the over two million IDPs in various camps of Maiduguri and Biu are “eager to go back” to their respective liberated towns and villages.
Responding, Air Marshal Abubakar assured the monarch that the military would not fail the people of Borno State on the restoration of peace.
He said this would enable all the displaced persons in various resettlement camps to return to their respective communities within the shortest possible period of time.
