TheCable

Mustapha Maihaja, director-general of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), says the agency will convince international non-governmental organisations to increase their support towards alleviating the crisis in the north-east.

He made this known at an interactive meeting with humanitarian stakeholders on Sunday in Maiduguri, Borno state.

Maihaja said the agency is also looking at ways to improve on its shortcomings with regards to handling the crisis in the north-east which is an aftermath of the Boko Haram insurgency.

In a statement signed by Sani Datti, head of media and relations, NEMA, he said the agency is committed to rehabilitating the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the north-east.

“NEMA has a primary responsibility of responding to emergencies which often occur as result of natural and human induced disasters,” he said.

“It is also charged with the responsibility of coordinating humanitarian crisis in the country. North east, Borno state in particular, is worst affected by the serious and devastating crisis of Boko Haram insurgency.

“NEMA would continue to provide all the necessary supports for the improvement and rehabilitation of displaced persons in the northeast in line with its responsibility for emergency response.

“We have just gathered information with regard to our shortcomings and I intend to sit down with experts to look at them with the view to solve the problems. We will contact international organizations to convince them to see how they could increase their supports as well as advising federal government appropriately.”

Peter Lundberg, the United Nations’ deputy humanitarian coordinator to Nigeria, said there were 75 partners working in the north-east including “UN organizations, international and local NGOs”.