Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, says Nigeria is pleased with the contributions of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to humanitarian efforts in the country.
Osinbajo’s spokesman, Mr Laolu Akande, in a statement on Friday, said the vice president received a delegation from OCHA led by the Undersecretary/Emergency Response Coordinator, Mr Martin Griffiths, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Osinbajo, no matter the challenge or resource constraint, people need to know that their government will always be in a position to support and make provisions for them.
“We have challenges; post-pandemic challenges, resource constraints, but we still have to make provisions for the millions of people, who expect that government must be in a position to support them in a terrible and challenging period.
“We are extremely pleased with OCHA; its contribution to all humanitarian efforts.
“The experience OCHA brings to the table is one of dealing with conflicts and problems, not just humanitarian concerns, but the political concerns in delivering humanitarian assistance,” he said.
On the reintegration of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by humanitarian crises, particularly in the Northeast, Osinbajo said that the government was looking at mobilising resources.
“For when we bring back refugees, someone must make provisions for them; provide the right living conditions for them.
“I hope these are areas, where we might be able to get some support from OCHA; even if what we are able to get asides from physical and material support would be the kinds of technical assistance that will help us in just thinking the problems through and coming up with plans and ideas and delivering on the mandate,” he said.
On the need to effectively end the insurgency, he said that that the international community mobilised and dealt with ISIS, adding that Africa and especially the Sahel really needed to have that kind of decisive action.
“I hope at some point, this will be discussed at the UN; some deliberate or decisive effort to bring this to an end,” Osinbajo said.
In his remarks, Griffiths reassured that OCHA would always be available to provide assistance.
“This year 2022, we have increased the budget for the overall plan for about 1.2 billion dollars, and we are here to support government institutions of Nigeria to help people affected by humanitarian crisis,” Griffiths said.
Sadiya Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, and other officials from OCHA, attended the meeting.
In another development, the vice president received on a courtesy call, a delegation of the Old Boys Association of Igbobi College, (ICOBA) to which he belongs.
The delegation led by Yomi Badejo-Okunsanya, (who represented the President of ICOBA), intimated Osinbajo about plans for the 90th anniversary of the school.
Osinbajo said that the anniversary was an opportunity to achieve many things including drawing attention not just to the achievements of the school but also the potential in improving public education, and education generally in our country.
(NAN)
