Insecurity: CALSER scores Humanitarian Affairs Minister high on FG’s assistance to victims

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CALSER) has expressed satisfaction with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, for her handling of the Federal Government’s assistance to victims of humanitarian crisis in the country.

The centre gave this commendation in a press statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr Abubakar Gana, on Sunday.

According to Dr Gana, the creation of the ministry and the choice of Hajiya Farouq will ultimately go down as one of the legacies of President Muhammadu.

CALSER said it has so far monitored the humanitarian issues in Nigeria occasioned by the Boko Haram terrorists, flooding in some parts of the country and other forms of natural and human-made disasters in the country and expressed satisfaction.

It further disclosed that the minister has done ” brilliantly well in not just nurturing a new ministry, but also ensuring that it hits the ground running in the fulfilment of its vision to have social protection systems that are proactive, humane, inclusive and sustainable for the improvement and general welfare of the people”.

The centre lauded the ministry for intervening in mitigating the effect of the Boko Haram crisis in the North-East by ensuring that those displaced by the disaster are adequately covered in the FG’s social safety net initiatives.

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, CALSER noted that Hajiya Farouq ensured that palliatives are distributed in a transparent and accountable manner to the vulnerable in the country.

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights, however, warned those against the interest of the country to stay clear of the ministry, vowing to resist any smear campaign against the personality of the minister.

Read full statement below:

In response to effectively addressing the various humanitarian crisis in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari established the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to develop humanitarian policies and provide effective coordination of National and International humanitarian interventions; ensure strategic disaster mitigation, preparedness and response; and manage the formulation and implementation of fair focused social inclusion and protection programs in Nigeria.

The creation of this all-inclusive ministry was widely applauded by the generality of Nigerians, which was an indication that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was indeed concerned about the plight of those affected by the humanitarian crisis in the country and the urgent need to have laudable programmes and policy that would address these challenges, and in an effective and timely manner too.

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights having followed the various humanitarian issues in Nigeria occasioned by the Boko Haram terrorist group, flooding in some parts of the country and other forms of natural and human-made disasters in the country, wishes to express its satisfaction with the way and manner these issues have been addressed by the government through the various interventions of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

This in our considered opinion dwelled on the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari’s choice of Hajia  Sadiya Umar Farouq to lead this interventionist ministry and so far using all measurement parameters she has done brilliantly well in not just nurturing a new ministry, but also ensuring that it hits the ground running in the fulfilment of its vision to have social protection systems that are proactive, humane, inclusive and sustainable for the improvement and general welfare of the people.

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights wishes to state that Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq has indeed proven herself as a square peg in a square hole through her innovative approaches to handling the various humanitarian crises in the country.  It goes further to bring to the fore that indeed there exist some Nigerians that are burning with passion for the growth and development of the country. It, therefore, suffices to state that the Honorable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development is in that category of Nigerians burning with that passion and desire to make Nigeria great again.

This fact can be seen in the way and manner the ministry has been able to intervene in mitigating the effect of the Boko Haram crisis in North-East Nigeria by ensuring that those displaced by the disaster are adequately covered in the federal government’s social safety net initiatives.

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under the watch of Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq has indeed transformed the responsiveness of the federal government to disaster management in the country.

The way and manner the federal government responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown of some parts of the country where millions of vulnerable persons benefited from the federal government’s cash transfer intervention programme under the supervision of the Honorable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development was brilliant and indeed worthy of commendation.

The Honorable Minister indeed proved how honourable she is, with the transparent and accountable manner; the COVID-19 palliatives of the federal government were distributed amongst the vulnerable groups in the country.

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights acknowledges the numerous interventionist efforts of the Honorable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in this era of economic hardship brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

This is also on the heels that the federal government has also responded well to other humanitarian issues of concern across the country through the various agencies under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights acknowledges the fact that the Honorable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has lived up to expectation by providing that sound leadership in this critical sector in Nigeria and this critical period.

It is, therefore, succinct to state that the Honorable Minister has indeed highlighted through her actions that great and giant strides can be achieved in the growth and development of Nigeria through purposeful leadership.

We also wish to state that her ability and drive towards addressing the humanitarian crisis in any part of the country within record time tells a lot about her sincerity of heart and purpose and also a manifestation of the confidence reposed in her by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights thanks President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing a selfless and dedicated amazon in Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq to lead the critical sector of providing humanitarian aids to victims of conflicts, disasters and other forms of economic exclusions in the country.

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights wishes to use this medium to advise those against the interest of the country to stay clear of the Honorable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development as she carries her mandate of promoting human dignity and integration of basic humane benevolence and compassion in the treatment of all Nigerians.

The Center for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights shall resist any form of smear campaign against the personality of Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq to cause a distraction. These set of individuals and organizations should have a rethink and toe the path of patriotism in the overall interest of the country and those Nigerians that dot the nook and crannies of the country and in dire need of government intervention in their daily lives.

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights here by commends the response to Humanitarian crisis in Nigeria and the invaluable role of the Honorable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.