Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja said his administration would restore confidence in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by fast-tracking their voluntary return, rehabilitation and reintegration into the society.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said the president spoke on the fate of the IDPs while receiving the outgoing Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Asharaf Abdelkader Salama, at the State House.
Buhari commended Egypt for identifying with the challenges confronting the country, especially the plight of IDPs, which, he said, remained a topmost priority for the Nigerian government.
“The displaced persons want to go back to their homes. They want to resume their normal lives. They want to go back to the land, which they have not cultivated for over three years now.
“We will work to restore their confidence, and also work on infrastructure, so that they can quickly resettle,” Buhari said.
The president noted that the bond of friendship between Nigeria and Egypt was very strong as demonstrated in their growing cooperation on regional and international issues.
In his remarks, Salama, who spent four years in Nigeria, said he was the first foreign diplomat to travel by road from Maiduguri to Yobe State, North Eastern Nigeria, last month.
