Centre lauds FG’s commitment in fighting against Boko Haram

Tue, Sep 4, 2018 | By publisher


Crime

AFRICA Solidarity Centre (ASC), an International NGO, has commended the Federal Government for showing uncanning commitment in the fight against Boko Haram.

Imani Countess, Regional Director for ASC, gave the the commendation at a programme tagged, “Employment and Decent Work for Peace National Feedback Meeting,” on Tuesday in Abuja.

The purpose of the meeting according to Countess is to increase understanding of the various ways unions are working to advance employment, decent work and social protection in conflict and post-conflict situations.

She said that the establishment of a special committee for the rehabilitation centre of the North-East and the use of military force against the insurgence was a laudable move.

Countess, however, said that the ASC obseved that the rehabilitation approach had yielded marginal results due to its unsystematic planning and execution.

According to her, key labour stakeholders, who ought to have been carried along in design and execution of rehabilitation activities in the state were neglected.

She noted that the fight and defeat of Boko Haram using military and brute force might not suffuciently take care of the insurgency if the causative factors that gave rise to the insurgence was not addressed.

The ASC regional director said without creation and strategies to ensure the meaningful employment of teeming Nigerian youths, especially in the region, Nigeria might not win the war against the insurgence.

She said that the unions were the worst hit by the insurgence, adding that the union had proactively shifted from core trade union functions and were now more involved in humanitarian assistance.

She added that the humanitarian service were not limited to members but other affected and victims of Boko Haramin their community , noting that the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) secretariat was converted to temporary shelter for IDPs.

The death toll of teachers in Maiduguri as at 31st May according to ASC now stands at 546, while medical and health workers lost 101member at same time.

According to her, member of Agriculture Allied Employee’s Union of Nigeria (AAEU) lost 129, while National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) lost 6 member at same time.

She noted that where there were some measures of clarity on impact of the insurgency on worker organisations in the formal sector, little was known about what informal economy workers lost to the conflict. (NAN)

– Sept. 4, 2018 @ 14:25 GMT |

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