What we are doing in the North East, by @NePcni
Alkasim Abdulkadir, Abuja: As North East Nigeria begins to transition from the phase of humanitarian intervention to that of sustainable recovery, the Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative (PCNI) remains committed to coordinating all implementing partners and mobilizing all necessary resources for the full rehabilitation of the region.
This was disclosed by the PCNI Head of Media and Communication, Alkasim Abdulkadir and the Head of Humanitarian Assistance, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (HARR), Dr. Sidi Ali Mohammed in an appearance on NTA on September 24, 2018.
Speaking on Good Morning Nigeria, NTA’s flagship morning programme, Mr Abdulkadir cited the vast plethora of actors in the region as the basis for PCNI’s mandate as an umbrella body for coordination of intervention efforts and addressing gaps in the delivery of assistance. He highlighted the PCNI’s partnership with organizations such as Pro Health International and the Yakubu Gowon Centre to deliver free medical outreaches in the North East as an example of the sort of collaborative synergies that the PCNI is actively promoting.
The PCNI is also partnering with state ministries of education in driving interventions in the sector. This year, 70, 000 pupils stand to benefit from the provision of text books and educational materials while 7000 teachers are being targeted to benefit from capacity building and psychosocial training.
In his remarks, Dr Sidi Ali said that PCNI’s rehabilitation efforts in the region are guided by the principle of “Build Back Better” as stipulated in the Buhari Plan which emphasizes an approach that establishes measurable improvements in the living conditions of the people and which leaves the North East in a better state than it was in prior to the commencement of the crisis.
He disclosed that the resettlement of liberated areas has begun with the PCNI providing critical support and availing the Borno State Government of non-food items and shelter materials for returnees. PCNI is also engaging with the military to address outstanding security challenges that remain concerns as the resettlement of displaced persons gathers momentum.
Dr Sidi Ali stressed that it is inherently difficult to coordinate a vast multiplicity of organizations some of which are accustomed to working in silos but that PCNI is striving to ensure that intervention efforts are appropriately conducted to avoid overlap, duplication and waste.
In his remarks from Maiduguri, Dr Bulama Ali Gubio, the Chairman of the Borno State Humanitarian Response Committee commended the PCNI for its partnership with the state government and for bringing a paradigm of strategic collaboration to bear upon the activities of the state and non-state actors working in the North East.
While lauding the military and paramilitary services for their tireless efforts to secure the population, he called for a deepening of surveillance and security coverage of rural areas and for expeditious responses to credible security information from such areas. He also urged all partners to close ranks and deepen their engagement with the resettlement process.
