The Executive Director, Victims Support Fund (VSF), Mr Mr Sunday Ocheche, says N3 billion has been spent so far on the welfare and rehabilitation of victims of insurgency in Nigeria.
Ocheche told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday that more than 2,000 farmers, widows and children had benefited from the Fund’s activities since it was established.
According to him, the foundation has also embarked on re-building of houses destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
“We have spent over N3 billion on our activities which spreads across other parts of the country, and not only in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.
“We have provided to National Hospital, Jos University Teaching Hospital, two hospitals in Kano all these outside the core north east areas.
“We have tried to track the different attacks of Boko Haram and where there is need we have responded accordingly outside the North East.”
Ocheche explained that a good amount of money has been spent in assisting victims of ther insurgency, in addition to donating funds to hospitals to treat them.
He gave assurance that the foundation’s fund is growing and its proceeds are being used judiciously to achieve its objectives.
Ocheche said the level of destruction done by Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East would require a lot of money and planning to tackle, adding that the funds are not being misused.
“Whoever sets up the foundation would provide a seed fund, usually an investable fund for the foundation.
“It is for the foundation to grow that fund, to protect that fund, to secure that fund, and use the fund and the attendant proceeds for the achievement of the objective of the fund of the foundation.
“The Victim Support Fund is meant for victims of insurgency no question, but the establishers do not anticipate a situation where you would take all the fund, spend it and that would be the end.
“The Directors of the fund defined the priority areas while protecting the mother fund and ensuring that the mother fund is not only secured but also growing to sustain the foundation.
“It is protected in a way that the money itself will find a way of growing itself so that we can have more money to apply to the objective of the victims of insurgencies.”(NAN)