Abdulsalam Enjoins Nigerian Military To Support The Course Of Democracy For A Sustainable Peace

Former Head of States and international peace Ambassador, General Abdulsalam Abubakar has advocated for a strong and suststained political will by the Nigerian military forces as well as support by the local communities in restoring the lake chad region ravaged by the insurgents.

This he said is good for the sustaining of peace in the lake chad region cut across Yobe, Adamawa,Borno,part of Niger Republic, Cameroun and Chad.

He made the advocacy in MAUTECH, Yola during an official visit to the state.

Abdulsalam, gave the indication in a key -note address he delivered at a regional Conference on "peacebuilding and reconstruction in the Chad Basin "organised by the centre for peace and security studies of Modibbo Adama University of Technology Yola in collaboration with the Army Headquarters in Abuja.

Enumerating number of casualties and damaged facilities in the North -Estern part of the country caused by the Boko Haram, the former Head of State, General Abdulsalam said number of internally Displaced persons, IDPs, were recorded at 2.4 million, number of abducted and kidnapped persons arranged to over 2000 and houses destroyed were estimated at about 18 million.

The international peace Ambassador, said the number of bridges destroyed are 350,schools ,over 22,000,Government institutions destroyed, over a thousand, worship center, 1,000 and economic loses was amounted to about 1.8 trillion Naira.

General Abdulsam, therefore called for global efforts in rehabilitating the lake chad Basin to its status and subscribed to the idea of a global summit of the lake chad as a catalyst towards Mobilizing interest and resources to what he described as an asset to Africa.

He further commended the gallantry of the Nigeria Army under Iiteutanant General TY Buratai in dislodging the insurgency. The Chief of Army staff, Liutenant General TY Buratai who commended the sub multinational military from Cameroun, Niger and Chad as well as the European Union and state Governors affected by the devastation of Boko -Haram said the Nigeria military engineers will be involved in rebuilding the infrastructure in the region.

The representative of the Head of Mission and Executive secretary lake chad Basin commission, Hajiya Zara Binta said the basin has developed ethno-centric development plan to restore the region ,calling for support of the EU and countries affected for the execution of the project.

The Vice chancellor of MAUTECH Yola, Professor Kyari Mohammed had earlier Said the conference was to bring stakeholders in providing workable modalities in restoring the region.

There was a goodwill messages from the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Eric Mayolac and Governor Jibrilla Umaru Bindow of Adamawa state where they both commended the Nigeria Military and assured of their support in restoring the region.