We Were Humbled By Scale Of Destruction In Bama, Konduga, Says Lai Mohammed After Visit

borno

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has lauded the achievements of Nigerian soldiers in the fight against Boko Haram in Bama and Konduga LGAs of Borno state.

The minister commended the soldiers, yesterday, during an official visit to Bama and Konduga Local Government Councils of the State.

“We went to Bama and Konduga and saw firsthand, the scale of damage and destruction that the Boko Haram terrorists left behind,” Mohammed said.

“It humbled many of us, and we all came back very very sober. I hope that with this visit, my colleagues in the media will show more restraint, more understanding in reporting the efforts being made in the war against terrorism. We are also confident that by today, we are much more informed about the corruption war,” he said.

The minister said the team that visited the local governments saw many victims of war. “Many of them they are victims of war they did not know about and many of the kids were their clapping without understanding what were being said. We saw abject poverty with sorrow, fear in the eyes of all the people there.

“I must publicly commend our military because it takes one to believe here the enormity of challenges they are facing. They are not only winning the war against insurgency but are also winning the peace, and even the humanitarian burden is probably heavier than the military burden. I saw a soft side of the commander of the Theatre, who was moved by the condition of the IDPs and suggested that the kids be adopted to reduce their sufferings.”

The minister lamented that children in the IDPs camps are sleeping in uncomfortable places in this harsh weather, but said, “I promised that we are going to come back soon, to address their plights through resettlement and reconstruction”.

He also commended the Governor for creating a special ministry for to fast-track the rebuilding process and assured him of federal government’s support.

“Because of the premium the Governor had placed on the plight of the victims, he had created a new ministry in his cabinet office called Ministry of Reconstruction and we saw traces of reconstruction in Bama and Konduga: The markets, maternity complex, LGA headquarters that was razed down under reconstruction among others.

“These are clear evidence that peace is gradually returning to North-Easter, Borno state in particular. It takes one to be there to appreciate how the Governor has combined governance with the reconstruction of destruction by insurgency. This was possible because of the bold decision he had taken in area of agriculture, empowerment, education, health and environment. I am confident that in few months time, everything will be brought to normalcy,” the Minister said.