Yobe State governor Mai Mala Buni, has identified leadership determination, community resilience and timeliness as key to the restoration process of the post insurgency recovery plan, adding that the state will replicate the Hiroshima, Japan experience in post insurgency recovery.
He stated this yesterday when the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Matsuyama Kazuyoshi, paid him a courtesy visit. Governor Buni said the lessons learnt from his Hiroshima study tour in Japan, will facilitate speedy restoration and recovery of facilities and communities devastated by the decade long Boko Haram insurgency in the state.
“Although the circumstances were different, the methodology of committed leadership, resilience of the communities and time line set up to achieve set targets are suitable for our post insurgency recovery.
“The determination of leadership and commitment of victims to restore and recover their lives serves as inspiration for us to achieve our set goals in Yobe State”, a statement signed by the director general of press and media affairs, Mamman Mohammed, quoted the governor as saying.
According to the governor, Yobe government would replicate the restoration of facilities destroyed by the insurgency using the Hiroshima experience.
Governor Buni identified education, healthcare delivery, agriculture, empowerment and employment among others as critical sectors to a reliable and sustainable recovery process and called for more support and partnership from the Japanese government.
Ambassador Matsunaya said Japan looks forward to a strong relationship with the state government. He pledged the support of the Japanese government to create employment opportunities through the cultivation of cowpea. The envoy also pledged food assistance and development of irrigation farming in the state.
“We also have modern toilet facilities suitable for schools and other public institutions to support eradication of open defecation,” he said.
