UNIMAID to
partner NNPC in search for oil in Chad Basin •UN-NHF earmarks $10.5 million for
vulnerable IDPs
Acting
President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday held a crucial meeting with a delegation
from the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC), which has been
visiting countries in the lake Chad basin on a fact-finding mission.
The PSC
delegation was led by its Chairperson for the month of July, Ambassador Bankole
Adeoye, who is also Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and to the AU.
A statement
signed by his Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, quoted
Osinbajo as revealing during the closed door meeting that countries in the
Lake Chad Basin have worked together to deal with the terrorist insurgency in
the region and the consequent humanitarian crisis.
He said the
Buhari administration is “extremely pleased with what we have seen, and we like
to see more,” of such cooperation. He cited the progress of the Multi-National
Joint Task Force set up to address the terrorist insurgency.
Prof
Osinbajo noted that unlike in the past when there were difficulties when the
militaries of the four countries tried to work together, the MNJTF surmounted
the challenges and has succeeded.
However, he
observed that the humanitarian consequences of the insurgency are compounded by
deep poverty, making the costs of dealing with the situation “huge and
enormous.”
Meanwhile,
the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) has promised to continue its
participation in oil search in the North-East with the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The Vice
Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ibrahim Njodi, said the university would
not chicken out of the search. Njodo told a delegation of the Minister of State
for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, led by the Chief Operating Officer,
Gas and Power of the NNPC, Saidu Mohammed, who paid him a visit in Maiduguri
that though the entire university community was distraught by the cruel
incident of July 25, 2017, the institution would not back out of what it is
supposed to do when eventually the NNPC re-organises and returns to exploration
work in the area.
Mohammed
said that as a responsible corporate entity, the NNPC would do everything
within its means to support the university and the families of the victims of
the attack.
Also, the
United Nations’ New Humanitarian Fund (UN-NHF) has earmarked $10.5 million
(N3.213 billion) to overcome humanitarian crises in Borno State the Northeast
sub-region of the country.
The Country
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Edward Kallon disclosed this yesterday
in a statement to journalists in Maiduguri.
0 Comments