President Muhammadu Buhari has called for the assistance of the United Nations as well as the international community for the reversal of the devastation of certain parts of Nigeria by Boko Haram insurgency.
Buhari told the visiting President of the 73rd Session of UNGA on Tuesday in Abuja that the condition of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country was pathetic and required their interventions.
“The condition of internally displaced persons ((IDPs) in the country is pathetic. We have at least a million children who neither know their parents, nor where they come from,” the president was quoted as saying, adding: “Bridges have been blown up, schools, hospitals, churches, mosques, and other buildings have been destroyed. All these will be rehabilitated, and every form of international help is welcome,” a statement by the president’s special assistant on media, Mr. Femi Adesina, quoted the President as saying in a statement.
According to the statement, the president also canvassed support for the recharge of Lake Chad through inter-basin water transfer from Congo River, and climate change was quite real to the region and noted that no fewer than 30 million people were negatively affected by the shrinking lake, with at least half of them being Nigerians.
The statement added that Buhari emphasised the role that the international community needed to play in the endeavour, noting that recharging the lake was beyond the financial capacity of the affected countries.
It also said the UNGA President commended Nigeria for being a key part of the UN system, describing Nigeria as a well respected country in the global body.
“Nigeria is a major troops’ contributor to peace keeping operations, and a major part of the human rights architecture,” the statement quoted Garces as saying.
The UNGA boss commended the president’s headship of ECOWAS and the Lake Chad Basin Commission, pledging to call the attention of the international community to the hurting effects of the Lake Chad problem and other issues raised by the Nigerian leader.
“The UNGA president also lauded Nigeria for rehabilitating the UN building in Abuja, which was destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents during an attack in August 2011,” the statement added.
GIK/APA