No love lost between UNICEF, Nigerian Army — Buratai

The Nigerian Army has restated its commitment to collaborate with United Nations agencies and other organidations to address humanitarian crisis caused by Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast.

Lt.- Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), gave the commitment at a dinner and media interactive session organised for editors and defence correspondents in Maiduguri.

Buratai, who was reacting to recent misunderstanding between the military and the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), said the issues had been resolved amicably.

He declared that: “I assure you that no love is lost between the UNICEF, the Nigerian military and in particular the Nigerian Army.

“Indeed, in this operation we will continue to cooperate with them to ensure that we carry out the necessary humanitarian aid and support for the agencies to carry out their responsibilities.

“What transpired is something that could not have happened but at times you have to take necessary steps knowing that the right result would be achieved.

“These are times not within the normal situations; these are times where so many lives were lost.

This is a time when so many trying activities are taking place, and such times have led to frustration of our efforts in various operations in the northeast.

“It is important to note that whatever we are doing, we are conscious of our international obligations as well as the need to safeguard national security.

“I am sure that the international organizations will not subscribe or allow any actions or inaction’s of certain individuals or groups to jeopardise the national security of the country they operate and this is quite fundamental.

“We understand the challenges and I am happy that the issue has been resolved, the UNICEF and other organizations were not prevented from carrying out their legitimate duties”.

Buratai expressed the hope that the incident would not repeat itself, adding that Nigerian Army had been participating in immunization and other humanitarian activities in the northeast.

According to him, the army is working in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and other organizations on routine immunization in the northeast.

The army chief noted that the troops had been at the vanguard of providing support to the organizations in hard-to-reach areas, to enable them to conduct their services.

“The Nigerian Army has been at the fore front where the humanitarian organizations could not reach.

“Our troops, apart from fighting the Boko Haram terrorists, are also carrying out immunization of children in the northeast, ” he added. (NAN)