Gov. Buni Deserves Guinness World Record Title For Launching First State Policy On IDPs

Gov. Buni deserves Guinness World Record title for launching first State Policy on IDPs

By Yusuf Ali

H.E Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON, deserves to be listed in the Guinness world Record for his impeccable and unbeatable record of launching the first policy on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The commendations from reputable national and international organisations like the United Nations (UN), and World Bank over the launching of the first policy is a testament that H.E Gov. Buni deserves the recognition of the Guinness World Record for his efforts in addressing the challenges of protracted IDPs crisis from both humanitarian and developmental perspectives.

This is even more significant as Switzerland has pledged to commit 25 percent of its total budget for the North-East sub-region to support Yobe’s implementation of the new Policy Document for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

Switzerland is part of the wider donour and humanitarian countries and organizations that support the North-East BAY states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe to recover and rebuild from many years of Boko Haram attacks.

The Swiss ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Nicholas Lang revealed his country’s readiness to support Yobe State during a cocktail meeting with Gov. Buni and other senior elected and appointed officials from the State at the Swiss Ambassador’s residence in Abuja yesterday.

Mr. Lang explained that based on Yobe’s ‘potential and dedication’ to providing durable solutions to internal displacement and lift itself out of humanitarian assistance and also in consideration of the State Government’s openness to working with external partners, Switzerland has made a decision to “commit 25% of our budget for North-East Nigeria in the next 4 years to support the implementation of Yobe State’s Action Plan on durable solutions” .

The Swiss ambassador commended the Buni administration for the meticulous work that went into producing the Policy Document for the internally displaced, revealing that the Special Adviser of the UN Secretary General on Solutions to Internal Displacement, Mr Robert Piper has also hailed Yobe’s policy document for IDPs as a “global model” that others can copy and learn from.

Mr Lang said the donour and humanintarian community is particularly impressed with the way that the Yobe State Government took “ownership” of the entire process that led to the development of the policy document and its “meaningful engagement with all strata of society” as the Action Plan was being developed.

H.E Gov. Buni, on his part, explained that the Action Plan will help provide a lasting solution to the problem of internal displacement that conflicts often instigate. “The Action Plan, together with other relevant policies and institutional frameworks in the state, will create a lasting solution that not only meet immediate needs but also support the short-, medium- and long-term socio-economic recovery and development of the state”, the governor said.

Gov. Buni revealed that the Yobe State Government will commit five percent of its annual budget for the next three years “towards creating sustainable conditions that facilitate a comprehensive transition to development through voluntary, safe, and dignified return, local integration, or relocation of IDPs and host communities”.

“Our focus”, the governor explained, “is on reviving local economies by investing in key priority areas to support human capital development, especially in the core sectors of health, education, agricultural, and entrepreneurial activities, enabling families to rebuild their livelihoods and achieve self-sufficiency”.

H.E Gov. Buni added that the state government also “intends to support our recovering communities and promote social cohesion, reconciliation, and community engagement to heal the wounds of conflict and foster unity” .

H.E Gov. Buni, along with federal and state officials and members of the diplomatic corps, launched the Yobe State Policy Document for Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons recently at a well attended ceremony in Abuja.