The speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, yesterday, declared that the Boko Haram insurgency would have destroyed Nigeria if President Goodluck Jonathan had remained in power, asserting that the defeat of his government saved the nation from imminent collapse.
While declaring that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was winning the war against insurgency, Dogara called on the President to immediately organize an International donor conference for the North East, saying funds realized from such a conference would be used to rebuild the war-torn region.
The speaker stated this when he visited the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camp at Uhogua in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Addressing the IDPs, Dogara who, expressed shock at the number of IDPs in the camp, lamented that PDP’s government failed to tackle the war as expected.
He said this created the current crisis in the country and commended Edo State government and the General Overseer of the camp, Pastor Folorunsho Solomon, for keeping the camp running.
He vowed to ensure that the National Assembly played its part to ensure that IDPs were well taken care of.
His words: “I want to thank God for the intervention in our affairs that he brought change in government. If we had continued like before, probably the Boko Haram fighters would have reached places like Jos by now.
“It would have been millions of IDPs but God heard our prayers, he brought change in government. And the commitment in ending this fight has commenced in earnest by this administration.
“We have seen that attacks have reduced drastically. So it is hoped that very soon, may be this year, most likely most of us who are here today and want to go back to their communities may be able to do that.
“They will go back without any fear of intimidation, we must do it because we have no other country but Nigeria.”
The speaker, who donated bags of rice, beans, wheat, sugar and other items, promised to offset the bills of students in the camp involved in NECO and WAEC examinations.
“I never knew that I will see this multitude of my own brothers and sisters. I have been told but maybe I did not believe enough, but the moment I stepped into the church, I saw a people that are determined not to be broken, in spite of the circumstances of their life.
“Apart from the war against terrorism, we in the House of Representatives are trying to pass a law that will establish the North East Development Commission.
“So if that happens, it means we are going to have funds that will be used to rebuild the communities that you have come from when the war is over. And we will ensure that every fund meant for that is channelled for that purpose. Apart from that, there is a provision in the budget that will take care of you.
“That is to say that the government has not forgotten you. And we have been encouraging private sector participation in managing the IDP crisis in Nigeria.
“We have the victim support fund that is private sector driven. It is led by one of our eminent sons, Gen.T.Y.Danjuma.
“In addition, we have been calling on government to organize what is known as the International donor conference for the North East.
“Just recently, it was done for Syria, so we want to reiterate this call for government to immediately convene an international donor conference for the North East.
“So as soon as these funds start coming, we will make sure that wherever IDPs are in Nigeria, the hands of help to all IDPs in Nigeria will come. So as long as this government endures, you will always be in our heart.
“Because we are in church, I will talk to you from the perspective of Christianity. I have not come here like any other politician, as I must sympathise with you, I must also encourage you.
“I know the circumstances that brought you here because I am part of that region of the North East as well. And I remember that in my own local government, I had to concede one of my houses for IDPs from Yobe and some parts of Borno State.”