Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Monday said that the National Assembly would strive hard towards ending the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.
Saraki made the promise while paying a courtesy visit on Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State in Maiduguri.
Saraki said that the visit to Borno was aimed at having an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in the state, following destruction by the insurgents.
“Today is an important day in the life of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is so because the legislators decided to follow up their extensive deliberation and debate on the security situation in Borno state in particular, and the North East in general, with a visit to the locus in quo so that we can achieve three things.
“We want to have on-the-spot assessment of the situation on ground. We also want to empathise with our people who are victims of the violent activities of the misguided elements who call themselves Boko Haram,” he said.
Saraki said that the Senate was also using the opportunity to appreciate the people of the state.
He described insurgency as ”strange phenomenon in which some individuals, for no just reasons, continue to unleash violence on the populace”.
Saraki condoled the state government for the damaged suffered and the people for the ”agony, suffering and unnecessary diversion which this menace has subjected our people to.
”It is obvious that this negative occurrence has impeded development in this state.”
The senate president observed that the insurgency had slowed down development programmes of the state government.
”You have been forced, compelled and restrained to slow down on the implementation of these lofty programmes while you focus on tackling the security issues,” he said.
Saraki said that the senate would lived up to expectations by making laws that would assist in ending the insurgency as well as rehabilitation of the victims.
He said that the Senate would also help to restore normalcy in the area, rehabilitate the people and their environment, rebuild the economy and provide necessary social services.
“This delegation will go back and brief the whole House and you will hear from us what personal and institutional contributions we will make towards making life a little better for the inhabitants,” he said.
The Senate President also visited Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the state where he assured them of government efforts to end the insurgency.
He also donated N10 million to the IDPs during the visit.
