VSF flags off reconciliations, peace projects for North East communities

The Executive Director of Victims Support Fund (VSF), Prof Sunday Ochoche, has flagged off a peace project to ensure a ‘secured and peaceful’ coexistence of 14.8 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Northeast.

Addressing religious, traditional and community leaders yesterday at the Yobe State Arts and Cultural Centre (YOSAC), Damaturu, Ochoche said the project was to rebuild and strengthen peace in Boko Haram insurgency affected communities, adding that the peace building project would fast-track the resettlement and rehabilitation processes of displaced persons in liberated communities.

Ochoche said the Fund had contributed to the rebuilding, reconstruction and rehabilitation of displaced persons in the region and committed towards restoring hope among them.

“We have been dealing with economic, educational, health and security components for the last two to three years. This peace building initiatives will definitely bring back the confidence lost in the minds of the returning millions of displaced persons,” he said.

The project, according to him, has already brought together stakeholders from religious and traditional institutions, politicians, security men, workers, youths and the media to promote and strengthen peace in the affected communities of Yobe and the northeast.

He added that the stakeholders are to work together to sustain the peace and security achieved across the state for socio-economic growth and development of the people.

Ustaz Hudu Mohammed, an Islamic cleric, who represented the Muslim community, said the peace building messages would be extended to other members across the state.

Pastor Martin Ikem of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) also assured that Christians would be adequately mobilised and sensitised on the need for an enduring peaceful coexistence among various ethnic and religious groups in the state.