By Dipo Olowookere
The United Nations has commended Nigeria for the successes it has so far recorded in the fight against terrorism.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for West Africa, Mr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, who made the commendation in Abuja on Friday during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said he had earlier visited the North-east and is pleased with the military onslaught against Boko Haram.
“First and foremost, we will like to once again express the solidarity and the support of the United Nations for the effort of Nigeria in fighting Boko Haram terrorists. This is part of the international fight against terrorism because Boko Haram has proclaimed its allegiance and its part of the international terrorists’ network.
“So Nigeria enjoys the support and the cooperation in many technical areas relating to this fight against Boko Haram both within Nigeria and also within the Lake Chad Basin countries,” he said.
Mr Chambas commiserated with Nigeria over the large-scale destruction and havoc wrecked on the communities by the terrorists, which led to a huge humanitarian catastrophe in the North-east, saying the UN has equally scaled-up its humanitarian activities to confront the challenge.
The UN Envoy, however, observed that as the military continues to make progress against Boko Haram, more communities that have been trapped behind the enemy lines are being liberated, thus increasing the humanitarian challenge.
He therefore appealed to international NGOs, donor agencies and development partners to complement the mobilization of funds to bridge the funding gap in delivering humanitarian assistance to the liberated communities.
Mr Chambas also commended the Federal Government for appointing a ministerial level coordinator for the efforts of both the government and the private sector as well as donor agencies in addressing the humanitarian challenges in the region.
In his remark, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, thanked the United Nations for its support towards alleviating the suffering of the displaced persons.
“The humanitarian crisis caused by Boko Haram is being under-played and it’s a global issue, which should not be left to Nigeria alone,” he said.
