Nigeria’ll get over North-East crisis – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said the nation would surely put the troubles in the North-east in order and move ahead. Buhari, who spoke while receiving Janez Lenarcic, the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Crisis Management, said it might however take a bit longer to tackle all issues in the region.
The president, in a statement issued yesterday by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said, “If we were capable to fight a 30-month civil war and reorganised our country, I wonder why people are thinking that Nigeria cannot do it.
“I assure you of Nigeria’s commitment to enhance and deepen cooperation with the EU in all areas. Our priorities in the next level is to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons are rehabilitated so that livelihood should be established and the children should not lose the opportunity to go back to school, which is very important for the future of that area and Nigeria generally.
“We have the experience of the civil war. I could recall the role of the military, the army, each commander had in his pocket how to behave himself and how to allow international bodies like yourself to go round and see for themselves that people are treated in the most humane way. We have this experience and I assure you that we also have this confidence in your organisation. That is why I feel that Nigeria is capable of handling this crisis, it may take long but we are capable of handling it.”
“I assure you that we are aware of these problems and we will continue to do our best. The newly created Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is coordinating NEMA and others, to make sure that whatever resources we get are well utilised,” he said.
The EU Commissioner, who said Nigeria plays a big role in the African continent and globally in economic, social and other spheres, asked for the development of a plan between the EU and Nigeria concerning the issues in the Northeast.
He said he had visited Borno State and appreciates government’s efforts to end the conflict there.