“The Victims Support Fund (VSF) will enhance reconciliation and peace restoration in the communities ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.”
The director of the fund, Dr Sunday Ochoche gave the assurance while inaugurating the post-conflict analysis forum in Maiduguri on Wednesday.
He said the forum was designed to deliberate and validate the findings of a conflict analysis workshop earlier organised by the fund.
Ochoche said that inputs of the workshop would provide good understanding of the actors, issues, underlying interests and dynamics of the Boko Haram insurgency in the region.
He noted that such background information would form the basis that would stimulate formulation of appropriate strategies and interventions to enhance peace restoration.
Ocheche explained that the aim of the peace-building project is to strengthen existing community reconciliation mechanisms and forestall conflict in affected communities.
“We organised workshops in the affected states to find out what are the causes, who are the victims and what they need to heal.
“As peace builders, we have our information, but we need to go to the fields to hear directly from the affected communities and it is interesting the additional knowledge and understanding we have.
“The peace-building programme also aims at bringing everything together; articulated, constructed and formulated to promote reconciliation and stability especially now that the military has gained successes and communities returning.
“Critical to this process are community leaders, security agencies, experts in peace building and the state,” he said.
Ochoche stressed the readiness of the fund to support victims of insurgency to enable them resume their normal lives in their communities.
According to him, the VSF has carried out various interventions in areas of education, healthcare delivery, livelihoods and protection support to victims of insurgency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
The Emir of Askira, Alhaji Abdullahi Askirama, lauded the fund over rehabilitation and reconstruction of communities ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgents in the region.
He noted that peace building was a collective responsibility and advised the people to work towards in promoting peace in the society.
He also called on the fund to rehabilitate the police outpost in Askira town and repair the electricity power line from Damboa to Askira.
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