By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Minister of State for Defence Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, is leading the Federal Government’s efforts in the actualization of the United Nations Mine Action Service ( UNMAS) in the North East of Nigeria.
Director of Press, Ministry of Defence, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike, in a statement, said the government is also working round the clock to resettle IDPs, in North East.
The Director recalled that in 2019 the Government of Nigeria constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention to develop a National Mine Action Strategy and a work plan for the survey and clearance of anti-personnel mines in the North Eastern States affected by the Boko Haram Insurgency.
The members of the Committee, he further recalled, are the Ministry of Defence (as Chair), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Northeast Development Commission and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs.
He explained that the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) is a service located within the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations that specializes in coordinating and implementing activities to limit the threat posed by mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices.
Mr Ogubike said: “It was initially deployed to Nigeria in 2018 to provide technical support in areas of coordination, planning and technical advice and support to the humanitarian communities and Government but it was left after years of inaction. But with the coming of Dr Matawalle as Defence Minister of State, the issue has been given attention from the Federal Government in synergy with the Government of Borno State”.
He further recalled that the Representative of the United Nations had a meeting with the Minister of State for Defence late last year where he reassured the delegation that the Federal Government was working out modalities to resettle returnees and the Internally Displaced Persons ( IDPs) in Nigeria to a safe and better living condition.
Matawalle said the Federal Government would partner with UNMAS in working out a workable solution to reintegrating IDPs and farmers into society for a better life.
“We need to redesign the action plan for the IDP returnees and farmers to go back to their farms,” he said
He noted that there was a need for the Federal Government to provide essential technical support for the establishment of a national mine action centre in the North East and extend it to the North West where the incidence of insurgency is still prevalent.
He said: “Such a center will afford the IDPs the opportunity to return to their communities and have access to quality education”.
