As part of measures to ensure the success of the durable solutions, the Yobe State government with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and collaboration of other UN agencies have organised two-day onboarding training for the stakeholders in the state on the implementation of the State Action Plans on Internal Displacement.
The event, which took place in Abuja was attended by UNICEF, IOM, NEDC, development partners and the technical staff of the implementing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) was meant to strengthen coordination for the successful implementation of the plan.
The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Dr Mohammed Goje has while delivering a welcome address on behalf of government said the political will shown by governor Mai Mala Buni on the solution to internal displacement has clearly demonstrated his commitments to putting Yobe to the pedestal of sustainable post-insurgency development.
Goje said, “I wish to emphasize the commitments of the Yobe State government under the able leadership of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Yobe State to ensuring that the Action Plan on Solutions to internal displacement is implemented to the later.
“As you are all aware, this is a project designed to provide sustainable solutions to the plight of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and even the Hosts Communities, which will be implemented through the active participation of all the relevant stakeholders across all levels for the realization of the set objectives.
“Therefore, I wish to called on all participants form the MDAs to take the two days event as very important by interacting as well as asking questions in addition to tapping as much as possible from the partners especially the North East Development Commission (NEDC), United Nations (UN) agencies such as UNDP, UNICEF, Swiss Government, IOM and all other partners that attended the onboarding workshop.
“Yobe State is the first state to do the onboarding and this will serve as a reference to other sister states to also follow.
“We have invited our sister states from part of the country to come and learn and I believe this will serve as reference not just for learning but for us to galvanize into action as soon as we return to our various states.
“We are here as a team, and we will continue working as a team to deliver on the objectives of the action plan,” the SEMA boss assured.
Also speaking, Ahmed Abdullahi of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a supporting partner of the durable solutions in the state said the agency will continue to work with the state government team towards ensuring the success of the program.
The Yobe State Internally Displaced Persons and Host Communities (SOLID) Project Coordinator, Suleiman Dauda has during the onboarding meeting, presented a paper on the overview of the Yobe State Action Plan among many other strategies that will facilitate the smooth implementation of the project.
Dauda has in a closing remark on behalf of the state government commended the commitments of the partners and the stakeholders from Yobe State towards the success of the durable solutions urging them to maintain the tempo.