Humanitarian Ministry Deeply Involved In Rehabilitating Repentant Insurgents-Minister
By Ignatius Ushie
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq says the ministry has contributed immensely to the non-kinetic strategy of managing surrendered insurgents for their rehabilitation and reintegration process in the North East.
The minister made this known at the opening ceremony of the 3-Day Seminar on Rehabilitation of Repentant Insurgents in the North East, organised by the Ministry and Office of the National Security Adviser in collaboration with the Nigeria Army Resource Centre, in Abuja.
She said the ministry as a member of Operation Safe Corridor National Steering Committee and member of National Action Plan Steering Committee on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) coordinated by the Counter Terrorism Centre (CTC) in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), has contributed immensely to the non-kinetic strategy of managing surrendered insurgents for their rehabilitation and reintegration process.
Food and non-food items, including starter packs, have been contributed for the rehabilitation and reintegration of the ex-combatants directly by the ministry and some of its agencies (NEDC, NEMA, NCFRMI).
Speaking through her representative, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Nasir Sani- Gwarzo, mni, NPOM, she said “It is worthy of note that the ministry recently conducted a survey on victims of terrorism with the view to identifying and providing the needed psychosocial support to the affected persons.
“In search of sustainable humanitarian response, the Ministry has adopted the United Nations principle of Tripple Nexus approach which provides linkages to humanitarian response that leads to development as well as peace building. Hence, the ministry leading other relevant MDAs and organizations, have developed a home-grown National Humanitarian Development Peace framework which provide a holistic response while applying area-based approach. This is expected to guide all humanitarian response in Nigeria and we hope the outcome of your deliberation will align with the framework”.
The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lt. Gen Faruk Yahaya, CFR, in his welcome address, stated that the kinetic efforts of the military has led to the surrendering of over 87,000 terrorists and their families in the North East.
The Executive Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, represented by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brig. Gen. A. Sabi Ishaq, (Rtrd), in a keynote address, gave an overview of the management and reintegration of surrendered Boko Haram and Islamic West Africa Province terrorists in the North East.
