Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo on Saturday stated that about 10 northern states remained the most
poorest in the country.
The Vice President revealed this at
the Northern Reawakening Forum organised to rebuild the 19 northern states
affected by the insurgency.
He, however, emphasised that the new
administration is committed to repair the damages.
This is also as he disclosed that
General TY Danjuma would supervise every presidential interventions and
inItiatives aimed to rehabilitate Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the
nation.
Osinbanjo said there was need for a
unilateral approach to streamline all interventions including the Presidential
Initiative on IDPs for better impact.
He said the social safety nets,
Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), one meal daily for school children should be
top priority among all the interventions, stressing that the north bears most
consequence of poverty.
“We have been working on interventions
in the north east due to immediacy of the crisis in that axis but the problem
of diseases and poverty were exacerbated by the Boko Haram insurgency…..close
detailed, analysis and plans on the north east has been done in collaboration
with some development organisations.
“We have government interventions
such as presidential initiative on the north east, victims support group among
others. Now all of the federal government initiatives are now under the
chairmanship of General TY Danjuma. We hope that streamlining these efforts
this way will help control immediate deliveries of succor to many of the
problems currently in the north east.
“In 19 northern states of Nigeria,
human development indices showed they are by far poorer than other parts of the
country. The Northern states occupy 70 per cent of our land mass, the highest
infant mortality rate, the lowest number of children in school, the highest
number of unemployed young people and the challenge of insecurity and religious
crisis including Boko Haram,” he said.
Osinbajo added that “A nation of
170 million people, the sixth largest producer of oil, over a 100 variety of
solid minerals and precious metals, thousands of arable land, largest economy
in Africa yet desperately poor, over 110 million people extremely poor.
Maternal mortality has taken over 55, 000 people in a year.”
He noted there was urgent need to
rehabilitate the victims and integrate them back to their original homes.
In his remark, the Borno State
Governor, Alh. Kashim Shettima called for prompt sustainable development
programmes in the northern states.
Shetima, who said the governors had
agreed to work together to redevelopment the region, urged federal government
to develop an all inclusive development plan to really address all challenges
of the state and restore peoples’ hopes.
“A comprehensive master plan that
will help re-integrate the people and seek entire development of the northern
Nigeria should be designed,” Shettima added.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the
forum, Hon. Mohammed Umara regretted that the north west and north east records
the highest death rate of infants born within the first 28 days.
Umara said the region also records
lowest literacy level, adding that poverty rate in 16 from 19 northern states
have doubled since 1980.
He expressed optimism the forum
would help address challenges of poor educational standard.
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